#430 19 - 25 December 2008 18 pages Rs 30

Weekly Internet Poll # 431. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

Q. What is the most serious threat to thestability of this coalition government:

Weekly Internet Poll # 430

Q. The dissent within the Maoist party is:

Total votes: 1,967

campaign by the Maoist unions in the past weeks has closeddown factories, harmed workers and threatens to unravel theparty’s own plan to boost investment and create jobs.

Although the unrest is made to look like a labour issue, tradeunionists say it is a guise to extort money, get jobs for cadres andrelatives and a strategy to control the business sector.

“They are not trade unions but political pressure groups, andwill not benefit the workers,” says Bishnu Rimal of the Federation ofTrade Unions.

In its latest campaign this month, the Maoists have broken anagreement they made jointly with other unions on the minimum wageand have forced the closure of hundreds of factories and firmsacross the country. It is using an ambiguous clause in thegovernment’s minimum wage decision in October to unilaterally pusha populist agitation.

The campaign is led by the head of the Maoist trade union,Salikram Jamarkattel who during the war was involved in extortingmoney from businesses, bombing and kidnapping owners who refused.His union has also been targeting multinational companies, forcingmany to close shop, thus reversing the gains Nepal made in the 1990sto attract foreign investment.

“It’s got to a point now where even big domestic investors feel it’sjust not worth it,” says industrialist and CA member, Rajendra Khetan,“If things don’t improve we’ll all soon be NRNs.” Khetan’s Gorkhabrewery has just shelved its plan to open a new manufacturing unit forCarlsberg beer near Biratnagar and is moving abroad. Colgate Palmolivedecided to quit Nepal, citing militant labour as one of the reasons. Thebiggest foreign investor in Nepal, Dabur Nepal, has put ambitiousexpansion plans on hold. Foreign investors who were thinking ofcoming to Nepal to set up manufacturing units are moving to Himachaland Uttaranchal, citing the lack of rule of law in Nepal.

“This is the worst investment climate we’ve ever had,” says labourspecialist Narayan Manadhar, “businesses are completely demoralised,and the unions have been cowed down by the Maoists.”

Trade unions here have traditionally been beholden to their patronpolitical parties and not to the workers. “Nepali trade unions were runlike NGOs and were spoilt by funding,” says Maoist-nominated CAmember Hari Roka, who says the Maoist unions have just moved intothe vacuum they left.

However, the Maoists are now determined to dominate the businesssector even if it means getting the Labour Ministry that they control toillegally register unions. This has sidelined established unions thatrepresented the genuine voice of the workers.

Although Maoist unions themselves have misgivings about thistrend, analysts say, Prime Minister Dahal appears to be either unable orunwilling to control the militant ways of Jamarkattel and his team. �

RAMESWOR BOHARA

No work

At this rate, there will be nomore investment in Nepal

A

KIRAN PANDAY

2 19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430EDITORIAL

Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Editor: Kunda DixitCEO: Ashutosh Tiwari Design: Kiran MaharjanMarketing Manager: Sambhu Guragain Asst Manager: Subhash KumarSubscriptions: 5542535/5542525

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L E T T E R S

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

Indians struggle to make sense ofthe recession and Mumbai attacks

The Indiasyndrome

from the educated MBA to theunskilled construction worker.

The Mumbai attacks have alsoshaken the confidence that manyIndians had in their owngovernment and left themstruggling for responses. In a hotelrestaurant, a group of middle agedPunjabis react to the attacks in atypically brash way. “We mustshow it to them this time. Thesef****** Pakis. The problem is ourgovernment is a cowardly. Weneed an Advani or Modi.”

The media-induced hysteria,orchestrated campaigns against thepolitical class, the projection ofthe security forces as sole heroes,the simplistic portrayal of all ofPakistan as villainous and the factthat their social class has beentargeted is feeding into raw andchauvinistic middle classnationalism. And despite recentstate assembly elections whereCongress did surprisinglywell, the far right is all set tobenefit from the anger in themedium term.

On a train from Gaya to Patna,in an overcrowded generalcompartment with people fightingfor space to stand in front ofstinking toilets, the conversationis about Mumbai. A Muslim lowerdivisional clerk says hauntingly,“We get killed in the process. Ihope there is no war. Muslimswill again be seen suspiciously.”

The cacophony of voicesalways makes it difficult, andhazardous, to generalise aboutIndia. The events of the last fewmonths have provoked reactionsranging from quiet introspectionto anger. It is certain though thatIndian confidence has suffered asetback. What remains is a deepfear of the future. �

than leading a peaceful nation. But weshould not underestimate PKD. He isreally good at ‘distraction politics’. Let’smake people look the opposite direction sothat they are unaware of what is going on.Better yet, let’s ignore the issuesaltogether so that people will forget. Priorto the Maoists coming into the mainstream,their actions were covert and at leastillegal, now with PKD and YCL in powertheir excesses go unchecked and occur inthe open. Isn’t it great, now the buck stopswith the culprit.

Abhishek Bhandari, email

REFUGEES

Thank you for your coverage of the thirdcountry resettlement of Bhutan refugees(‘A fresh start’, #429). While it is true thatthere is now more support for therelocation process, there are plenty of usrefugees who do not want to go anywherebut home. We will not force our will onthose who want to leave but we will wait itout. The fascist Bhutan regime and itscomrade-in-arms, the Indian government,

LETTERS

Nepali Times welcomes feedback. Lettersshould be brief and may be edited forspace. While pseudonyms can beaccepted, writers who provide their realnames and contact details will be givenpreference. Email letters should be in textformat without attachments with ‘letter tothe editor’ in the subject line.

Email: letters(at)nepalitimes.comFax: 977-1-5521013Mail: Letters, Nepali Times,GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal.

should not be allowed to get away with itsethnic cleansing and should be undermoral pressure.

G P Pradhan, Beldangi

CORRECTION

Due to a layout error, the captions forthe pictures in Happenings (page 15,#429) got mixed up. The rightcaptions are on www.nepalitimes.com

COALITIONThe UML isn’t too well known for the clarity of its ideology or itsunity of purpose. Sometimes it fancies itself as a left-of-centrepolitical force committed to the principles of social democracy,then it suddenly remembers that its flag still bears a hammer andsickle.

In the past, they played second fiddle to leaders as diverseas Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Sher Bahadur Deuba and PushpaKamal Dahal without pausing for the effect these strangealliances would have on party rank and file. The party of thegreat flip-floppers seems to be about to flip-flop again.

The UML leadership isn’t too happy with its own performancein the Maoist-led government. K P Oli and Madhab Nepal havealways been trenchant in their criticism of the Maoists, but noweven Jhalnath Khanal is rattling his sabre. The only explanationis that the leadership is beginning to feel the pressure frombelow about being too cosy with the Maoists.

If unity of the Nepali left is its ultimate goal the UML wouldhave to learn to live with Pushpa Kamal Dahal as leader.However, if Madan Bhandari’s multi-party socialism path is stillvalid then the UML will have to rethink a conjugal relationshipwith the Maoists.

The MJF will also soon face its moment of reckoning. Theirnominees in the government have done only marginally betterthan the UML, but only just. They risk losing more in politicalterms because their grassroots are different from the UML andthe Maoists. It was courageous of Bijay Gachhedar to admit that‘One Madhes, One Pradesh’ was merely a political slogan.Prolonged participation in government may even lead tofragmentation between radical and pragmatic groups in the partyunless the Madhesi ministers in government start exhibitingaccountability to the long-suffering people of the four districts ofthe eastern Tarai which they represent.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal threatened to quit the government toappease hardliners in his own party. But it seems to have givenhis coalition partners ideas that they could do the same.

As prime minister,Dahal needs torealise theunintendedconsequencesof hisstatements.He mustlearn to stopspeakingfrom bothsides of hismouth. Heshouldrealise thatas an electedleader he can’t affordto be an extremist andshould show more integrity andstatesmanship.

KOLKATA- Someplace Else isamong the fanciest addresses ineast India’s biggest city. The pubat Park Hotel is teeming withpeople on Saturday night. A liveband is playing; the bartender ispulling pints of beer.

It is difficult to imagine thereis a recession on, or that Mumbaiwas under attack less than amonth ago. India seems to be notjust shining, but swinging here.

But that is only anappearance. Beneath the surface,despite the indulgence of a few,the simplistic binary of the elite-subaltern does not hold. Indiansare confused, insecure andstruggling to comprehend theworld around them.

The economic meltdown isgradually affecting the youngprofessionals. Many of thembegan their working lives with

annual salaries up to IRs1.5million-earning more than theirparents ever did, making India’sper capita income look like a poorjoke, and driving the economywith their relentlessconsumption.

Today, a business analyst whohas to pay monthly installmentsfor his apartment finds his plansgo awry without the expectedpromotion and bonus. A friend atGoldman Sachs is relieved his jobis still intact as colleagues arelaid off. “At least we have notgone the Lehman way,” he says.

A Chandigarh entrepreneurwho had branched off on his ownto start a gift-order firm forcorporates finds orders drying upas companies cut costs. A dairyowner is worried about how theinternational milk prices andmarket will affect his margin.Those doing MBAs after payingup lakhs, and being assured ofplacements, suddenly find thatrecruitments are frozen.

A Mumbai-based Nepaliprofessional (there are many whowent to good colleges in Indiaand availed of the boom) iswondering whether he can holdon to his entertainment industryjob. A Nepali journalist in Delhisees the Indian media shrink andnew opportunities more difficultto come by: “Maybe I shouldcome back for the Nepalimedia boom.”

India’s growth story has notended, the country will still farebetter than most emergingeconomies. But the belt is beingtightened across sectors. Theshare market will no longer swingwildly with little correspondenceto the economy on the ground.Job cuts will affect all sections,

COURSE CORRECTION

Having a political party play the role ofthe opposition is a crucial component inmaking a democratic system functionproperly as you suggest in youreditorial (‘Congresscourse correction,’429). However, theNC needs to playconstructiveopposition role asopposed to thetraditional slimy,undermining anddestructive roleoppositions haveplayed in Nepalipolitics. NC needs tochange its focus ofbeing a party that ishell bent on fulfillingGPK and Sujata Koirala’s politicalambitions. If the NC hopes to berelevant in Nepal’s political future itneeds to revamp its image drastically.As it stands, the Nepali Congress could

very well change its name to the KoiralaCongress.

Atul Adhikary, email

THE BUCK STOPS

I liked Prashant Jha’sanalysis (‘The buckstops with PKD,’ #429)especially on the twoimportant points hemakes: he is still positiveabout the futuredevelopment, but at thesame time advises theMaoist party about theirfuture steps. Second, heis more analytical thanputting the ideas forunknown purposes. It istime for everybodyincluding journalists and

analysts to be neutral and present theirviews that may guide our leaders in takingcrucial decisions.

Kesh B Malla, Dubai� I guess leading a war is a lot easier

319 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430

STATE OF THE STATEC K Lal

OP-ED

Prime Minister Pushpa KamalDahal’s much-discussedthreat to go back to the

jungles was an expression of hisfrustration rather than a trueintent to wage war again. Despitepretensions of being in charge, hehas taken over three months torealise that a prime minister in aparliamentary system is only firstamong equals, not the boss. Thepremier in a coalition government

is even less of a boss, his role islimited to being a facilitator.

Dahal’s problems begin withhis own party members. FewMaoist nominees in thegovernment realise what thelimits of their powers are. Andtheir followers still think they canarm-twist and threaten perceivedenemies at will.

The UML has packed thecabinet with congenitaldemagogues. Whether JhalnathKhanal has done it on purpose toundermine the Maoist-ledgovernment or whether it’s justhis way of hitting back at partyrival Madhab Kumar Nepal isunclear. What is obvious, is thatnone of the ehmaleys in thegovernment have brought theparty any glory.

Ministers of smaller partieshave actually done better. Noteveryone needs to endorse the wayUpendra Yadav has recalled newly

An appropriatetime for technologyLet’s make better chulos for the poor, theinformation superhighway can wait

appointed ambassadors fromIndia and the US, but at least hehas succeeded in restoring thepride of professional cadres inthe foreign ministry. One neednot agree with the ethnic politicsof Jayprakash Gupta, BijayGachhedar or Renu Yadav toappreciate the way they have beentrying to get their ministries tostart working again in the face ofthe violent antics of the YCLand YF and the militant wing ofthe MJF.

Ganesh Shah, the minister forscience, technology andenvironment, represents a minorfaction of the leftwing. He got acabinet berth in the coalition inrecognition of his steadfastloyalty to his CPN (United).

Shah is an engineer and issupposed to know a bit aboutwhat he is expected to do.Unfortunately, even he can’tresist wearing outsized badgesand cutting ribbons and lightinginaugural lamps. When he is freefrom these inanities, he fliesabroad to attend seminars whereNepal can neither contribute norgain anything. A ministershiptransforms even a creativeindividual like Shah into a labmouse going round and round inhis wheel. But to his credit, he isat least consulting fellow-engineer Baburam Gurung aboutappropriate technologies thatcould improve lives of ruralNepalis.

Gurung was trained inCzechoslovakia and his

suggestions were simple: stopchasing the pot of gold at the endof the Information Technologyrainbow and concentrate onsimple things that will changelives.

The humble Nepali chulo hasremained unchanged formillennia even though it wastedfirewood. Improved chulos thatare more energy efficient anddon’t belch out smoke have beenavailable for decades. But thepenetration of smokeless chulosin rural Nepal is negligible. Weneed to build on the improvedchulo so that it takes new fuelslike husk, brickettes and dungcakes and get people to use them.

Pit latrines were introducedin Tarai back in the sixties. Half acentury later, villagers are stillforced to defecate publically.During the rains in the hills andfloods in Tarai, typhoid andinfections are the result. Isn’t itpossible to devise a technologicalsolution for this problem? If wecan build ultralights and ifNepali software engineers arecontributing to Silicon Valley,improved loos shouldn’t be outof our grasp.

Appropriate technology hasbecome a forgotten expression,but there is no other way to makeliving in rural Nepal a little morebearable for all those who haveneither the wish nor the means tomigrate to overcrowded cities.Nepal needs better chulos.The information superhighwaycan wait. �

KIRAN PANDAY

4 19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430NATION

atalities among Nepalimigrant workers reached apeak in the second half of

2008 and the government isscrambling to set up a scheme tocompensate relatives and helppay to bring the bodies home.

Laxman Kharel was workingat an electrical company inDubai. He had been there justseven months when he had astroke and died at age 26. Thecompany entrusted a colleagueto take the body to Nepal.

Laxman’s sister-in-law MinaPrasai had talked to Laxman justtwo days before. “He told methat he would be in Nepal nextDasain,” she recalls. His wifePushpa broke her right hand asshe collapsed when she heardthe news.

Since the roads had beendestroyed by the Kosi flood inAugust the fare for the journeyfrom Kathmandu to Taplejunghad risen from Rs 2,000 to Rs7,000. It did not seem practicalto take the body to his village forthe funeral, so the body wascremated at Pashupati.

As the number of Nepal’smigrant workers exceeds15 per cent of the population,the number of fatalities havealso increased. Records from theMinistry of Foreign Affairs showthat 158 migrant workers died in2006/07, but in 2007/08 thedeath toll had climbed to 237.The number peaked at a record154 deaths between April andDecember this year. Mostoccurred in the Gulf countrieswith 80 per cent in SaudiArabia followed by Qatar. Theministry’s statistics do notinclude fatalities among theestimated 2 million Nepalisworkers in India.

DEWAN RAI

Workingto death

Interestingly, none of thedeath certificates mention thecause of death. Where it isnoted, a substantial number aregiven as ‘cardiac arrest’, andofficials say there are asurprising number of Nepaliswho have reportedly died intheir sleep.

Krishna Dawadi, jointsecretary at the Department ofLabour and ForeignEmployment Promotion saysNepali workers are mainlyunskilled, often employed inrisky jobs and are vulnerable tofatal accidents.

Transporting the body homeis a lengthy and complexprocess. The incident is firstreported to the Nepali embassy.If the worker has a legal work

permit, the mission thenverifies the information withthe Department of Labour andthen corresponds with theforeign ministry in Nepal.

The ministry contacts thelocal agency and the next of kinis informed. The local agencythen writes to the ministryestablishing the claimant’srelationship with the deceased.The relative needs to take all therelevant documents and applyformally at the foreign ministryfor the body to be brought home.

If the worker has nogovernment labour permissionto work abroad, it is theemployer who corresponds withthe dead person’s family.

The Foreign EmploymentAct 1985 had provision for a

labour attaché in the countrieswhere 5,000 or more Nepaliswork. But Nepal has signedbilateral labour agreements onlywith Korea, Saudi Arabia, Qatarand UAE ––although it hasembassies in 18 countries. It isthe employer who fixes the payand perks of workers in theremaining countries. If there werebilateral labour agreements,Nepali labourers would be paidaccording to the law of thecountry.

A Foreign EmploymentPromotion Board was set up thismonth to have compulsoryinsurance that will compensatefamilies with Rs 100,000 in caseof death as well as providingmedical treatment abroad for theinjured. The board has already

started receiving applications forcompensation from the relativeseven before it has actually startedits work.

“We have a fund of Rs 450million and will begin thecompensation process soon,” saysThaneswor Debkota, membersecretary of the board.

He believes this provisionwill also encourage Nepalimigrant workers to go through thecorrect legal channels beforeleaving to work abroad. Half of theestimated 2.4 million Nepaliworking in countries other thanIndia do not have work permits.

Debkota told Nepali Times:“If we halve the number of illegalworkers, the risk will go downsignificantly and it can also helpin increasing remittances.” �

COMING HOME IN A COFFIN: Boys atPashupati paddle in the coffin of a deadNepali worker as they look forvaluables that have fallen into theBagmati at the cremation site.

SRINKHALA SHARMA

Stacks of coffins inPashupati indicate the risingfatality rate among Nepalimigrant workers abroad

F

Cover: Labour pains� The Maoist trade unionresorts to hooliganism andgives the labour movement abad name

Maoist lifestyle� Pushpa Kamal Dahal, RamBahadur Thapa, Khimlal Debkota

Editorial: Justice denied� Government interference in the appointment of judiciary

Smuggling racket� Busting a scheme to cheat the government of million inrevenue

Constitution Supplement:“The country should not fragment”Public debate on federalismLast installment of interview with Prof Krishna Khanal

Presidential or parliamentary system? Lok Raj Baral andHari Roka

Himal Khabarpatrika There is No Alternative

Himal Khabarpatrika16-30 December issue

519 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430BUSINESS

ECONOMIC SENSEArtha Beed

ast Sunday, the Beedalong with familymembers and some other

people got stuck in the lift at theHotel Grand. We later came toknow this was a regularoccurrence. The emergencyphones did not work and neitherwas anyone apologetic about themishap as the hotel employeeshad gotten used to rescuing

people from the elevator. Thisperhaps reflects the current stateof Nepali business: anindifferent workforce that worksfor an indifferent set ofemployers.

The perception is that thereare few businesses that are reallysuffering because of the currentlabour problems and as long aspeople can find ways to findindividual solutions, no one isinterested in looking at acommon one.

But the business communityhas to speak with one voice.Having myriad disconnectedorganisations iscounterproductive when itcomes to getting the governmentto agree on providing security tobusinesses or resolving labourissues.

The workforce had become anempowered group, patronised bythe political parties. Workers whobelieve in productivity and hardwork have no place as they areconstantly coerced by politicallymotivated workers who have nointention of working for thebetterment of the business. Butnow the political parties arewondering how to tame thesepeople whom they let loose forpolitical gain.

The service charge issue,which the Beed continues to harpon about, is a perfect example ofhow the myopia of businessesand labour has now led to aserious crisis in thehospitalityindustry. Theemployers gave insince they couldpass on the cost tothe customersanyway. Now, there is noincentive for staff to offer thehighest level of service becauseirrespective of their efforteverybody makes the same tip.Anyone who recalls service levelsat hotels and restaurants inKathmandu 10 years ago willknow what we are talking about.

Nepali businesses andindustry will have no future ifthe worker issue is not resolved.The country faces the threat ofbeing relegated to a country with

many trade unions but no realbusiness or industry. Thegovernment and the politicalparties need to realise that if theydo not rein in their workers andmake them agree to thefundamentals, then they have tostart finding ways of gettingrevenues from sources other thanbusiness. Where else in the worlddoes a government survive onrevenue apart from taxingbusinesses?

The business communityneeds to unite based on theworkers they

employ and the taxes they payand create an advocacy group thatstarts to force the government toact. For the government, it wouldbe then to go along with otherpolitical forces to ensure that theworker leaderships agree on asolution that will be beneficialfor both workers and businessesto operate in Nepal.

Otherwise,the financeminister’s goal of boosting jobcreation by attracting investmentswill just be a pipe dream. �

Politicians don’t know how to tamemilitant unions that they unleashed

Labour pains

hen a colleague from United Nations World FoodProgramme (WFP) suggested the refugee camps inJhapa as a possible location to take pictures for his book,

Howard Graham Buffett, 54, son of Warren Buffett, the world’srichest man, couldn’t believe his ears.

As a businessman, philanthropist, photographer, agriculture andconservation expert, he had worked extensively in Africa and Southand Central America, but he didn’t know much about South Asia.

“When you think of Nepal you think about the mountains andreligion, but you don’t think about the high malnutrition rates, thewar, or the floods in Kosi and you would have no idea that there arerefugees living here,” says Buffett.

And so the ambassador for WFP came to Nepal as part of hisproject to compile a photography book on hunger. He worked withWFP in Pakistan during the earthquake and has been to severalcountries with the organisation.

Buffett is no stranger to issues surrounding food production. Hefarms 1,000 acres of land at home in Nebraska and is on the boardof directors for the world’s largest food retailer ConAgra food, aswell as food and beverage giants Archer Daniels Midland and CocaCola Enterprises. He is also the founder of Nature ConservationTrust, a non-profit Trust in South Africa to support cheetahconservation.

In Nepal, he visited WFP’s maternal and child health project inSolukhumbu, flew over the Imja Glacier, visited Bhutani RefugeeCamps in Jhapa and the make-shift camps for the Kosi floodvictims.

He also studied the country’s agricultural patterns, concludingthat Nepal has serious challenges relating to food production. Itmay be fortunate to have abundant water resources, but without theinfrastructure and training for irrigation, would be unable to dealwith the challenges of food security.

“To reap benefits from the irrigation system you need a systemof crop development, which in turn depends on extension services,”says Buffett. Most seeds used in Nepali farms are indigenous andhaven’t seen any improvement in yield or resistance for years.Buffett stresses that improved training to develop higher quality,higher yielding seeds is critical.

In addition, Buffett says that Nepal has to be able to takeadvantage of the successes that its neighbours, China and India,have achieved. “It's about regional integration—if countries aroundyou have higher fertiliser use, you should have better and cheaperaccess to fertilisers as they develop research and put developmentdollars into crops.” �Mallika Aryal

Rich man,poor manW

L

MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

6 19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430FROM THE NEPALI PRESS

Dristi, 15 December

The process of army integration,already highly debated and drawn out, isbeing further delayed because of thediffering propsals being put forward byIndia and China.

It’s not just the Chinese and Indiansthat are interested in Nepal’s armyintegration, the British and theAmericans are also rushing toBaluwatar and Singa Darbar with theirideas.

The Chinese have suggested thatthe Nepal Army should take in as manyPLA recruits as their standards allowand the rest should be deployed insecurity in the eastern and northernborders. While China is ready tosupport that force because it believes itwill help curtail pro-Tibet activities,India is not very keen on the idea.

India is putting more emphasis onthe management than on integration ofthe PLA troops. It has proposed thatrather than integrating the PLAs in thearmy, they should be employed in othersecurity organisations, should be given

Interview with Prachanda, Naya Patrika, 13 December

What’s changed since you becameprime minister?Initially, I thought it would be easy towork according to the people’sexpectations and the spirit of thecommitment letter. But it’s beenchallenging–although not impossible.We’ve already made solid changesthough, in terms of budget, internationalrelations and infrastructuraldevelopment.

Are you disillusioned yet?Work is being done. It may be slow dueto procedural matters but it hasn’t yet gotto the stage where we are disillusioned.With the commissions, for instance, wejust want work to be done quicker.

Why haven’t the departments forwomen and land improvementbeen formed yet?There’s no rush. We’ve taken steps butit’ll take time due to ‘bureaucratichurdles’.

What did you mean when you saidthat you may leave thegovernment?I mentioned something when I spoke at Chitwan and Kathmandu. However, what Isaid was exaggerated by the media. What I meant was that our government is notobsessed over the ‘chair’ and if we aren’t able to bring positive change here, we don’tsee the use of staying. We’re not going to stay by force. Instead, we’ll question whywe couldn’t bring changes and go to the people. I mentioned this as a broadpossibility; I didn’t mean that we’ll leave today or tomorrow.

Isn’t that like giving up due to your own incompetence?The Kangresis think that we are using this as a threat, it’s not true. We’re not losinghope either. It’s just that we wanted some things to be fast-paced, and that hasn’thappened. But we’re not denying our weaknesses.

If you had to give yourself a score out of 100 since you became primeminister…[Laughs] Between 60 and 70.

Himal Khabarpatrika, 16-30 December

A meal that Prime Minster Pushpa KamalDahal thoroughly enjoys is ghee, rice andlocal chicken or goat meat. He doesn’t mindcauliflower and potatoes or spinach either.Besides his food, he also likes clothes–hehas 20 pairs of trousers and around a dozensuits, says his personal assistant BKShrestha. Also a fan of black leather shoes,he uses Nepali brands like Basbari, Skyand Tiptop.

Not so humble ministerial habits

There was also a time when he usedto sport a Rs 50,000 Rado watch, whichwas given to him by a famousindustrialist. However, after a lot ofpublic speculation and opposition fromhis cadres he stopped wearing it. Anotherthing that has stirred speculation sincePrachanda became PM is the Rs100,000bed imported from China. However,Shrestha claims, “Contradictory to therumours, the bed only cost Rs 70,000 andwas bought by the president, vice-

president and the speaker.”The PM’s daily routine consists of

waking up at 4AM, reading and playingbadminton with his son Prakash and hisnephew Samir for half an hour. He alsoloves listening to music and watchingmovies. When he has time, he alsoenjoys singing challenges with his 10-year-old granddaughter Smita. Besidesthe news, the PM is fond of the show‘Tito Satya’.

Other Maoist ministers such as statereconstruction and culture ministerGopal Kirati who used to cane peopleduring the People’s War for drinkingwine, now likes drinking wine and evenscotch after a hard day at work. “Peoplewho come to meet me gift red label andblack label. It would be rude to return agift, so I drink one or two pegs before Isleep,” says Kirati.

There has been a drastic change inhis lifestyle. Kirati now wears coats thatcost Rs 20,000 and watches worthRs16, 000. But he says, “I don’t buyexpensive things–friends who liveabroad give them to me as gifts.”

Defence Minister Ram BahadurThapa ‘Badal’ likes classical music. Hisfavourite singer is India’s Shova Mudgal.Besides the news, he never misses theprogram ‘Sare Gama’.

Labour and transport minister

Lekhraj Bhatta uses red Mehendi on hishair once a month and loves the Hindimovie Sholay. But he claims his lifestylehasn’t changed much from the years whenhe was fighting in the war. He says, “Howmuch you choose to change your lifedepends on the person.”

Maoist spokesperson andcommunication minister Krishna BahadurMahara’s favourite pastime is watchingpolitical movies. He likes Balidan best. Healso likes to travel but due to lack of timehe hasn’t been able to treat himself to thispleasure, says his PA Khagendra.

Maoist CA member and advocateKhimlal Devkota’s biggest indulgence ishis suits. He says, “I have four suits thatcost Rs 12,000 and many ties that matchmy shirts.” He also has two laptopsthat clients gave to him when he wontheir cases.

Maoist central committee member andCA member Top Bahadur Rayamaji whogot married in a second-hand coat thatcost Rs 35 and shoes that cost Rs 25, nowowns numerous suits. Since 1973,Rayamaji has kept a written diary.

After winning the CA elections Maoistmember Jhakku Prasad Subedi, receivedmany gifts such as bikes from friends andwell-wishers. He says, “Industrialiststried to gift cars as well but I didn’ttake them.”

Not in denial Outside forcevocational training or should be givenopportunities for foreign employment.

Lately, the British too have beenpressing for the rehabilitation of PLAtroops rather than on integration. Thishas shaken the Maoist leadershipbecause it was the British who,according to the Security Sector Reform(SSR), had first proposed that the PLAsshould be integrated into the army.

The Nepal Army has also started tooppose the SSR model fearing it couldbe just a strategy to appoint Maoistleaders into the army. Maoist leader CPGajurel of the Foreign ministry was theone to introduce SSR as a concreteidea. The Maoists were trying toimplement the SSR model and integratethe PLAs into the army, as well as keepUNMIN and the UN happy. However, it isunlikely that the UN will support theMaoists in their plans unless the US,which has not been very positive,agrees. The rumour now is that theMaoists are in search of a brand newmodel. The extension of UNMIN for sixmore months is actually a ploy to buytime and remain in the UN’s good books.

DINESH SHRESTHA

PRESIDENTIAL SUITE:Prime Minister Dahal’sbedroom at his offcialresidence–Baluwatar.

Prachanda: “If it goes on like this, we will raise arms again.”Farmer: “During the election campaign, he used to say he’d raise ourliving standards.”

ROBIN SAYAMI

719 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430CONSTITUTION 2010

n spite of the fact that theMadhesi has heftyrepresentation in the

government the security situationin the region has not improved atall. In fact it is deteriorating.

Janakpur-based professorSurendra Labh says Madhesileaders changed their languageonce they gained power. He arguesthe constitution, legislation andmentality of leaders must bechanged if Madhesi issues are tobe addressed. “The governmentshould come up with animmediate relief package for thepeople. It is sad to know that themovement was purely for powerand not for the people,” he says.

But Madhesi ministers arguethe present government will nottake care of the Madhesicommunity. They say securitywill not improve because thegovernment has failed to addressarmed groups’ demands.

Supply Minister RajendraMahato, who claims to haveunderstood Madhes issuesbecause his party’s founderleader, the late Gajendra Narayanwas the first person to bring theissues to light, says, “Even if aMadhesi leader is made the primeminister nothing will happenunless a federal constitution ismade. The present governmentshould implement the pastagreements reached between the

Conclusion of the interview with Krishna Khanal,political science professor at Tribhuban University,about federalism.

What are the merits and demerits of federalism?No political system is good or bad in itself. There is noideal system. But the country might face somechallenges once it embraces federalism.

The issue of ethnicity could be one while the divisionof provinces could be another.Ethnic, linguistic and regionalissues need to be taken intoconsideration when dividingprovinces but they are not thesole determinants.

Let’s take Limbuwanprovince for instance. Theremight be people who think non-Limbu should not be allowed tolive there, that they should bedriven away. This is against thespirit of federal democraticnorms.

The emergence of regionalparties will be inevitable if theissues of identity remainunaddressed. That’s not to sayregional politics is wholly badbut possible challenges shouldbe identified on time. If politicalparties do not adapt to fit thefederal system, that could poseanother problem.

Federalism is expensive as there will be manygovernments and parliaments. But there again thefederal system could promote economic growth.

There are many challenges, which is why politicalparties appear reluctant to embrace it.

Some argue the country would break up if it goes intofederalism.The past experiences of federal countries do not proveso. Yugoslavia disintegrated because the federal systemwas not based on democratic norms. India is a federal

The UnrepresentedMadhesi ministers prove themselves powerlessto effect change in the Tarai

SUBHAS DEBKOTA

system?” he questions.He blames the clash between

the Maoists YCL and UMLYouth Force and dispiritedpolice force for the deterioratingsecurity. As for the terror metedout by the Tarai armed groups headds, “If we address theirreasonable demands then we cantake action against their criminalactivities.”

Another MJF leader,Agriculture Minister Jay PrakashGupta says the number ofMadhesi leaders in thegovernment does not necessarilydetermine the activities of thegovernment. He points toanother spanner in the works –that Madhesi ministers couldnot forge a united view regardingMadhesi concerns.

He blames the governmentfor the violence as it failed tocome up with an integratedvision for the armed groups andaddress the reasonable demandsof Tarai armed groups in spite ofhis proposals.

Others says that threemonths is not long enough toimprove things. UML leader andLocal Development MinisterRam Chandra Jha says securitywill improve once the dialoguewith the Tarai armed groupsconcludes. “The formation of

country which has been facing the problem of separatistmovements from the very beginning but it has notdisintegrated in over 60 years. In 1947, the separatistsdemanded independence for Tamilnadu but the issueevaporated when MDK party won. From Nagaland toManipur, the issue of separatism is being raised but thestate mechanism has been functioning perfectly. In otherwords, it is through federalism that integration has beenprotected.

With the exception of TaraiDemocratic Front, no other parties orgroups have raised the issue of aseparate province so far.

How should provinces be created?In more than one way. In India, federalstructures are based on language(Gujrat, Tamilnadu etc), geographicalsituation (Uttar Prades, MadhyaPrades etc) and ethnic settlement(Punjab, Bangal etc). The provincesshould be created according to thedensity of the population andtopography.

National unity is also important.The state should be self-reliant interms of economy, administration andinternal security. It should be capableof implementing central governmentpolicies, programs and plans.

It must be considered whether aprovince is viable politically andadministratively. For instance, a

separate province of Chepang with a population of 50,000could not be administratively and politically viable.

What are the widely accepted norms of federalism?There are essentially two concepts of federalism that arewidely accepted—territorial and non-territorial. America isan example of territorial while Ethiopia is non-territorial.Under the former, provinces or states are demarcated in acertain size and their inhabitants are known as citizens ofthat particular province. The latter refers to demarcatingprovinces on the basis of ethnicity.

In Nepal, it is not possible to apply either so thefederal structure of our country should be based onethnicity, language, population density and geography.

What are the basic requirements for a federal system tofunction? The basic principles of a democratic system apply.The only difference is the level of ruling. In a federalsystem, there are different governments andparliaments at the centre and provinces. The duties andresponsibilities of the central and provincialgovernment will be as provisioned in the constitution. Inmany federal countries, the provincial government hasa different constitution from that of a centralgovernment, while some have a single constitution. InAmerica, Canada and Switzerland, provinces/stateshave their own constitution. If any state wants aseparate constitution that should not be negated.

Another important question is about the type ofsystem. It could be presidential, parliamentary ormixed. I think an executive presidential system will notbe appropriate because of the diversity. Under thepresidential system, it is unlikely Dalits, women,Madhesis or Tharus would be elected. We need aceremonial president and an executive prime minister.

What should be the political, economical andadministrative relationship between the central andprovincial government?The constitution will specify the fundamentalrelationship. Some responsibilities will be shared,some separate. For instance, the issue of environment.When it rains in the mountains, landslides takes placein the hilly regions and the Tarai suffers from flashfloods. These are shared issues.

In principle, defence, foreign affairs and treasuryremain at the centre and the rest goes to the provincialgovernment. Hydropower can be of national interest. Inthis situation, the central and provincial work together.

We should understand one thing – the centre is nota separate entity without provinces. The centralgovernment consists of representatives from provinces.No laws are made without the participation fromprovinces. The centre is the common ground.

“We will have one identity–Nepali”

commissions to address theissues of Tarai and Muslimcommunities, reservationprovision for Dalits and relatedlaws which are in the offingwill definitely bring relief. Thenew constitution and staterestructuring will give a long-term solution,” he says.

Rameshwar Kapadi,president of Mithila StateStruggle Committee, says theMadhes problems haveremained unaddressed thanks tothe popular political slogan of‘one madhes, one pradhes’which overlooked geographic,ethnic and cultural diversity.He also claims the Madhesileaders joined the governmentwith the right sentiment butthey did not understand thereal problems.

Perhaps everyone isexpecting too much too soongiven the seismic changes thisscarred country has undergone.

But the ministersthemselves are not taking theinitiative to bring relief to thepeople when they say thegovernment can do nothing.Madhesi represent a hefty onethird of the leaders in thecouncil of ministers.

The country’s president,vice president and Madhesiministers hail from Sarlahi,Dhanush, Saptari, Sunsari andMorang districts - the origin ofMadhes movement. It shows theeffectiveness of the movementand its achievements. But thepeople who were in thefrontline during the movementin these districts are now livingunder constant threat.

government and the Madhesis.”Foreign Minister Upendra

Yadab, who is also president ofMJF, the largest Madhesi partyand fourth largest party in the CA

holds a similar view. “The policeandthe army are still notinclusive. There is the same oldlaw. How can the government doany good for Madhesi under this

I

PICS: KIRAN PANDAY

8 PRISONS

BehindTEXT AND PICTURES by KIRAN PANDAY

Most were built during the Rana regime. They areovercrowded, mismanaged and the inmates underfed andangry. In the Siraha jail, the roof leaks and it is on the vergeof collapse. The Mahottari jail holds 339 prisoners when itonly has enough space for 135.

There are 73 prisons in the country containing 8,810detainees, 538 of them women. In addition, 62 dependentsalso live inside the jails with their parents. There are 166juveniles and 488 foreigners.

Whatever ray of hope one sees inside the jails, is due tothe determination of the inmates to make their lives behindbars bearable. In Dilli Bajar prison in the heart of the capital,the detainees association purchased two computers and isconducting training for detainees, 35 prisoners currentlyattend the course.

In Dhulikhel jail, prison is divided into three sections,one for severely mentally disabled detainees. This is the onlyprison in the country that can handle the mentallyhandicapped, but it is clear that many of them should be in ahospital, not a prison.

Pictures selected from an exhibition by the UN Office ofthe High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) inKathmandu last week.

Prisons in Nepal aredilapidated, but theirdeterioration is not limitedto their cracked roofs andcrumbling walls.

STICHING TIME: A Muslim detaineeembroiders a sari in in Mahottari Jail.

DOWN-TIME: Four Mahottari prison inmates watchtelevision in the room also used for worship.

919 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430

d barsLONG NIGHTS: With no other form of pastime, the women

detainees sit together and while away the evening.

ANYWHERE BUT HERE: A young child who was bornin Mahottari Jail gazes out beyond the prison walls.

A LONG WAIT: A detainee stares idly as he waits for customers in the small store runfor prisoners at Central Jail.

PLEA FOR FREEDOM: A woman inmate reachesout for a visitor at Siraha Jail. After prisonersbroke out of the prison some two months ago,

visitors cannot come within 50 metres.

REFRESHING: A male detainee enjoys a bath after a long day of work in Siraha Jail.

10 NATION 19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430

he political parties aredebating whether to allowen masse integration of

the Maoists’ combatants into theNepal Army or discard the ideacompletely. UNMIN’s term isabout to be extended by anothersix months because of theuncertainty over the integrationof the two armies.

The debate is raging evenwithin the Maoist cantonments,where the former guerrillasundergo regular military training.While many see integration intothe national army as the ultimategoal, others want the PLA toremain a separate armed force ofthe state.

Here in Jhyaltung Danda ofNawalparasi, many of theguerrillas believe they shouldstay under the party rather thanunder the government.

Twenty-six-year-old PLAmember Nirmala Bantha Magar(Pratistha), a companycommander, which is a rankequivalent to that of major in thearmy, fought in 12 battles duringthe 10-year people’s war. She ishopeful that the party will takecare of the PLA members in theright way. “We believe in our

n the last few years the cold dark evenings have becomeunbearable during this load-shed winter. With 10 hours ofpower cuts every day, there isn’t much one can do but mull,

snooze, meditate or worse, think about the state of the country.The Nepali political situation in the last week turned as dark as

the powerless nights. We have had an earful of threats, accusationsand no end of whining from senior politicians and party leaders.While Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, leader of the party withone-third of the seats in the parliament, has been threatening to quitthe government and take up arms again, UML’s Madhab KumarNepal has been spreading the word throughout the country that thegovernment, which his party is a part of, is a total failure.

The changes taking place in the country in the last few monthshave been rapid andoverwhelming. Sometimes itis hard to keep track of howmuch things have changed. Inall this, one characteristic thathasn’t changed is politicians’

habit of complaining and not watching what they are saying whenthings don’t go their way.

Is it so difficult to understand that one of the reasons whyNepalis went out and voted in such large numbers was becausethey were tired of the same old way of doing things? Many in thevillages of Nepal voted for the Maoists because they were fed upwith the war, the killings, losing family members, the threats and thelawlessness war had brought home. Last week in Panauti a localresident Mahesh Karmacharya said what many Nepalis have beenthinking but have been too afraid to say, “In the last few monthssince the Maoists started leading the government they haven’t doneanything to prove that they are different from the other politicianswho have been in charge since 1990.”

When a primeminister threatensto quit thegovernmentbecause unnamedinternationalpowers are notallowing them towork, it makes thepeople wonder iftheir intentions forthe country aregenuine. Andthese threatscome at a timewhen the mediahas beenreporting on howthe lives of thecomrades havechanged sinceleaving the jungle,how most of themare now living inthe lap of luxury.

Moreover, for a senior leader like Madhab Nepal, whose party ispart of a coalition government, it is absurd to hear him say that thegovernment has failed.

Leaders threaten to prove a point either to the opposition or tothe people. What they don’t understand is that such threats createcynicism and hopelessness in the people. They can’t trust a partythat threatens to go back to war when diplomacy gets a little hard tohandle. Nepalis went out in overwhelming numbers and voted for theMaoists, but not all the votes came from die-hard supporters. Afterten years of waging war the Maoists have to do a lot more to gainthe trust of the people than win an election. The little credibility theymay have gained is lost when they bare their fangs.

Meanwhile, instead of thinking of ways to reorganise theirparties so that they can gain back the support they lost in the CAelections, older parties like the NC are busy trying to find fault. Inthe eyes of the people such backbiting just makes them look likevery bad losers.

During the CA elections people in the villages were promisededucation, roads, food, employment, development. Eight monthshave passed and nothing has been done. Nepalis in the hinterlanddon’t care about internal party rifts, they don’t care about who waspromoted in the party ranks or which invisible foreign hand wantswhat from Nepal or who said what in Kathmandu.

People want promises to be kept. They want to know that theirchildren are safe and their neighbours won’t die of a curabledisease. They have had enough of the war. Twelve years of living infear is enough. �

Integrate or PRERANA MARASINI

in NAWALPARASI

party, as it has the right vision,”she says. “We will acceptwhatever the party decides forus.”

Pratistha’s husband who wasalso a PLA fighter was killed inaction. Her daughter was bornafter her father’s death butNirmala does not want to quit thePLA. “We’ve sacrificed so much

for the people and the country,”she states, “And I can’t imaginemy life beyond the PLA.”

Vice commander Ram LalRoka Magar (Madan) says the PLAwants to retain its own identity.“We don’t want assimilation,” hesays, adding, “a merger will eraseour identity.”

The question of loyalty after

Unearthing the

ast year Nepal’s NationalHuman Rights Commissionreceived a tip-off from the

locals in the Shivapuri NationalPark north of Kathmandu aboutthe location of where the 43disappeared from the Bhairabnathand Yuddha Bhairab Battalionwere buried.

The Alle area was cordoned offand the NHRC, with a team offorensic experts and human rightsactivists started investigating.They combed the jungles andrecovered pieces of clothing, sacks,charred wood and plastic bags.

Two months later Finnish

experts Helena Ranta of Universityof Helsinki and Pekka Saukkofrom the University of Turku werebrought in to further analyse thesamples. When the tests on coal-like black substances and blacksoil brought no results, NHRCasked that the samples be sent forfurther tests.

The report of these furthertests were released by the NHRC inKathmandu this week, and theFinnish experts state that theremains of at least one male werefound in the objects theycollected in Shivapuri last year.

“From the six differentsamples we could extract DNAevidence from only one of the

samples,” said Ranta. The NHRChas ruled out the possibility of amass grave at the site, but says itwants to investigate the areafurther.

Mandira Shrama of AdvocacyForum says the probe will pavethe way to investigate othersuspected sites in the future, butshe is worried that the issue willfade from the headlines. “Theinvestigation has to be detailed,so that the issue is kept alive,”she says.

In an effort to build localforensic capacity for futureinvestigations, the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross(ICRC) has brought in two expertsfrom Geneva, Ute Hofmeister andOran Finegan, who have beentraining NHRC staff, Nepal Police,local forensic experts, medicalstudents and human rightsactivists in exhumationprocedures, the collection of ante-mortem data and other skillsrelating to the identification ofhuman remains.

“It is not clear how manybodies need to be identified, butnow that that the conflict is overthe need to develop appropriate

MALLIKA ARYAL

L

T

INTERESTING TIMESMallika Aryal

Nepalis voted for peace, notfor leaders who make threatswhen the going gets tough

Into thedarkness

I

SEEKING CLOSURE: Forensicexperts, human rights activists andpolice investigate alleged gravesof the disappeared in Shivapuriearlier this year

PRERANA MARASINI

N H R C

SAM KANG LI

1119 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430NATION

disintegrate?

integrating a politicallyindoctrinated army has alsocropped up, but vice commanderMagar thinks it could be resolved.“When we (PLA and NA) worktogether for a common goal, wewill forget our past grievances,” hesays. ‘We will also be giving upour party membership,’ he adds.

However, almost all PLA

members and children orphanedduring the war still use the term‘dushman’ while referring to theNepal Army during theinsurgency.

There are 1,000 PLA in thecamp, which includes youngmothers, some teenagers, andsome wounded, in addition tothe verified combatants. RamKumar Thapa (Mahan) who haslost a hand and eye, says, “Weknew we could be wounded orkilled but we fought for theliberation of the people.” Butwhat about his future? With hisdisability he will not qualify forintegration. “The state shouldprovide us with the rightalternative,” he says.

Another ex combatant, Khum

Not all Maoists in thecamps want to be part ofthe Nepal Army

truth

know because they never forget.”Under international

humanitarian law, the authoritiesare responsible for determiningwhat happened to those whowent missing during an armedconflict. Accurate information is

skills and build local capacity foridentification is imperative,” saysHofmeister, who has worked onexhumations in Bosnia and LatinAmerica.

She adds: “Society may not beready but the loved ones want to

The forensic investigationinto the 43 disappeared onShivapuri finally begins toaddress impunity

Bahadur Lamsal (Sonam) wholost a leg during a battle inArghakhanchi in 2002 raisesconcerns about the injuredcombatants the Nepal Army has.“If integration is to take place, allof us should be integrated,otherwise those injured soldiersin the NA should also bewithdrawn.”

The Nepal Army has 2,625wounded soldiers while the PLAhas over 3,000 personnelwounded during the war.

Nursing mothers in the campscomplain of inadequate food fortheir babies. Although they enjoya leave of six months, which isfour months more thangovernment employees andfemale soldiers of the Nepal Armyget, they have difficulty beingable to afford to care for theirchildren.

“We don’t get an extrasomething for the baby, apartfrom the regular Rs 2,100, whichis not enough,” says 21-year-oldShanta Bhattarai whose fourmonth old son has pneumonia. �

No frillsGetting married simply is awise move in lean times

ROMA ARYAL

ANO TIME FOR SCHOOL: (l-r)Sunita, Samiksha and Niruta quitschool to join the people’s war.Now that the conflict is over, theywant to resume studies but theysay military classes and trainingsleave them with no time to returnto formal education.

PRICELESS: Archana and Subash wrote in their weddingannouncement in Kantipur, “We want to publicly announce that webegan our married life on 13 October without any unnecessarycosts, and will donate the money to various charitableorganisations.”

quarter-page ad in Kantipur announced the wedding ofArchana Dahal and Subash Bhattarai on 24 November– buttheirs was no ordinary wedding. No extravagant ceremony

with pricey invitations, dowry and lavish party. Instead the coupleopted to give all the money their parents had set aside for theoccasion to charity and have a small, humble gathering at a temple.

Less than a week after the ad appeared, the couple received anoverwhelming response with more than 700 emails and 400 SMSsfrom Nepalis who had read the announcement from all over Nepaland abroad. Some were deeply touched while others wished theyhad foregone a lavish affair in favour of something less costly.

A man from Qatar seemed irked that the couple hadn’t decided tomarry earlier: “If you had,” he wrote in his email, “I wouldn’t have toleave my pregnant wife, so I can pay off the loans we took for ourwedding. I would’ve known that there was another option.”

Subash, who works for the Jaycees and Archana who works atNabil Bank in Damak, are an educated and savvy couple who wantchange. Subash wanted to set an example in Damak and he foughthard to convince his parents to sanction his marriage, while his wifewas easily convinced. “It’s not about rejecting your culture,” shesays, “you should be able to spend only as much as you can.”

“We thought what we were doing would be something new,” saysSubash, “but there were lots of people who replied to our ad, sayingthat they were doing the same.”

Chakra Bohara and Gita Mainali Bohara in Dang are one suchcouple who spent as little as they could when they tied the knot fiveyears ago, while Rajan and Durga had a similar approach. “Insteadof using the money for our wedding,” said Durga, “we saved themoney to finance our further studies.”

But marriage counselor for the online matrimonial servicenepalmatrimonial.com, Shrijana Singh Yonjan says that cases likethese are exceptions. Many young people such as Chakra and Gitawho have intercaste marriages usually conduct the marriage bythemselves, often fresh out of college and have no choice but to befrugal. They do it because their decision hasn’t been accepted bytheir parents. “The majority of Nepalis,” she says, “still attempt toprove their affluence with lavish weddings.” While many youngstersare now opting for court marriages, it’s still usually the parents whodecide on the format of the ceremony. �

impossible without forensicexpertise. Identification andevidence is extremely importantnot just for prosecution but alsofor humanitarian purposes.

Ranta says that forensicevidence has to be dealt with verycarefully and has to be done byexperts. Dealing with the past isone of the ways the authoritiescan build confidence amongstpeople. She says, “These issueskeep coming back and society,government and people will haveto deal with them one day.There’s no use trying to shovethem under the rug.” �See also:‘Forgiving but not forgetting’,#380‘Prison diary’,#290‘Many have died in detention’,#267

12 19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430

1319 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430NATION

epal may not beinternationallyrecognised as a

great engineering nationbut there is one area inwhich it excels. Bridges.This mountainous countryhas built more than 4,000suspension footbridges.

And now Nepal isexporting this expertise toother developing countries.There are 11 engineers andthree sociologists fromEthiopia and Honduras inNepal this month learninghow bridges are made inNepal.

With 80 per cent of thepopulation living in ruralareas, in rugged terrain,bridges are of vitalimportance. Without them,isolated valleys andremote villages have noway of communicating withthe outside world. Ethiopiaand Honduras have similarterrain and socio-economicconditions.

The Swiss aid agency,Helvetas, has beeninvolved in training Nepaliengineers in suspensionbridge-building for the past40 years. Now, Nepalicompanies have their ownindigenous capacity tobuild the bridges.

“Instead of peoplegoing abroad, engineersfrom abroad come here tolearn how to build trailbridges,” explains JanRoukema of Helvetas inKathmandu.

Nepali engineers havelearned how to build highquality bridges on tightbudgets and also how toplace them at the moststrategically appropriatelocations so that theybenefit the maximumnumber of users.

Sashi Shah, Karnaliprogram co-ordinator ofHelvetas says, “We don’tjust build bridges but followa holistic social approach.We involve the communityin the construction andplanning and bring downcosts.”

The visit from theEthiopians and Honduransis part of Helvetas’ South-South collaboration projectand will entail theengineering department atPulchok Campus teachingthe 14 participants both thetechnical and socialaspects of trail-bridgeconstruction in the fourweeks up to 26 December.

The course coversdesign, planning andconstruction as well asways to mobilise thecommunity and seekgovernment assistance.Five participants will stayon longer in Nepal and gainon-the-job field trainingexperience.

Alem Shumiye,manager of the trail bridgeprogram in Ethiopia toldNepali Times, “Ethiopia issimilar to Nepal in terms ofthe need for footbridges,and we are learning a lothere.”

Shah says Nepal stillfaces major challenges inbridge-building:governance, ensuringquality of materials and thebrain drain. Last year’sbridge collapse on theBheri in which 50 peoplewere killed was anexample of what happenswhen quality standardsdrop. �

DFID

Bridging the gap

Nepali bridge-buildersare training Africansand South Americans

SHRADHA BASNYAT

N

PB HAMAL

14 INTERNATIONAL 19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430

The searchfor qualityon the webRIZA BERKAN in NEW YORK

n the not-so-distant future, students will be able to graduate fromhigh school without ever touching a book. Twenty years ago, theycould graduate from high school without ever using a computer. In

only a few decades, computer technology and the Internet havetransformed the core principles of information, knowledge, andeducation.

Indeed, today you can fit more books on the hard disk of your laptopcomputer than in a bookstore carrying 60,000 titles. The number of Webpages on the Internet is rumored to have exceeded 500 billion, enoughto fill 10 modern aircraft carriers with the equivalent number of 500-page, one-pound books.

Such analogies help us visualise the immensity of the informationexplosion and ratify the concerns that come with it. Web search enginesare the only mechanism with which to navigate this avalanche of

information, sothey should notbe mistaken foran optionalaccessory, justanother button toplay with or a toolto locate the

nearest pizza store. Searchengines are the single mostpowerful distribution points ofknowledge, wealth, and yes,misinformation.

When we talk about websearch, the first name

that pops up is, ofcourse, Google. Itis not far-fetchedto say that

Google made the Internet what it is today. It shaped a new generation ofpeople who are strikingly different from their parents. Baby boomersmight be the best placed to appreciate this, since they experiencedRock ‘n’ Roll as kids and Google as parents.

Google’s design was based on statistical algorithms. But searchtechnologies that are based on statistical algorithms cannot address thequality of information, simply because high-quality information is notalways popular, and popular information is not always high-quality. Youcan collect statistics until the cows come home but you cannot expectstatistics to produce an effect beyond what they are good for.

The inefficiencies of today’s search engines have created a newindustry called Search Engine Optimisation, which focusses onstrategies to make web pages rank high against the popularity criteria ofGoogle-esque search engines. It is a billion-dollar industry. If you haveenough money, your Web page can be ranked higher than many othersthat are more credible or higher quality. Since the emergence of Google,quality information has never been so vulnerable to the power ofcommercialism.

Information quality, molded in the shadow of web search, willdetermine the future of mankind, but ensuring quality will require arevolutionary approach, a technological breakthrough beyondstatistics. This revolution is underway, and it is called semantictechnology.

To achieve the level of dexterity in handling languages by computeralgorithms, an ontology must be built. Ontology is neither a dictionarynor a thesaurus. Building an ontology encapsulating the world’sknowledge may be an immense task, requiring an effort comparable tocompiling a large encyclopedia and the expertise to build it, but it isfeasible. Several start-up companies around the world like Hakia,Cognition Search and Lexxe have taken on this challenge. The result ofthese efforts remains to be seen.

But how would a semantic search engine solve the informationquality problem? The answer is simple: precision. Once computers canhandle natural languages with semantic precision, high-qualityinformation will not need to become popular before it reaches the enduser, unlike what is required by Web search today.

Semantic technology promises other means of assuring qualities bydetecting the richness and coherence of the concepts encountered in agiven text. If the text includes a phrase like “Bush killed the last bill inthe Senate,” does the rest of the text include coherent concepts? Or isthis page a spam page that includes a bunch of popular single-linerswrapped with ads? Semantic technology can discern what it is.

Given humans’ limited reading speed (200-300 words per minute)and the enormous volume of available information, effective decision-making today calls for semantic technology in every aspect ofknowledge refinement. We cannot afford a future in which knowledge isat the mercy of popularity and money. � Project Syndicate

Riza Berkan is a nuclear scientist with a specialisation in artificialintelligence, fuzzy logic, and information systems. He is the founderof Hakia.

I

1519 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430NATION

“This must be how the Wrightbrothers felt when their planefirst flew,” Bikash Parajuliremembers thinking when theultra-light he helped build tookoff for the first time from Pokharaairport on 6 December.

For Parajuli, the first flightmarked the culmination of yearsof planning, overcoming technicaland bureaucratic hurdles to makeNepal’s first airworthy aircraft.Called ‘Danfe’, the 400kg ultra-light was piloted by AlexanderMaximov of Avia Club and madesix take offs and landings atPokhara airport amidst cheersfrom hundreds of onlookers.Parajuli, 27, had been fascinatedby the idea of flight from an early

age ever since he watched TwinOtters at Pokhara airport as astudent at the Pratibha HigherSecondary School. When he wasin Grade 10, he built a smallmodel plane at the a Kaskidistrict science exhibition butthe model failed to take off.

“From that point I wasdetermined to make a plane thatwould fly,” says Parajuli, whoenrolled at Pulchok EngineeringCampus where he was a memberof the Robotics Club. Along withfellow students, Parajuli spentthree years designing andfabricating the Danfe. Withsupport from Natasha Shresthaof Avia Club in Pokhara andguidance from their professor,Bhakta Bahadur Ale and anotherfaculty, the plane was finallyready. The Danfe was ready to fly

but Nepal’s civil aviationbureaucracy wasn’t.

The government didn’t giveParajuli the permit to make atest flight, even though CaptMaximov, who used to fly MiGsin Russia was ready to take itup. But the persistence of theDanfe team paid off and thepermission for a test flightfinally came. The Rs 2 millionDanfe has tandem seating fortwo, has a ceiling of 6,000 ft andhas a maximum speed of 200km/h. But last week, theministry gave permission for theplane to do circuits andlandings at Pokhara airport notflying more than 25ft above theground.

Parajuli believes that hisprototype can be mass producedand boost Nepal’s tourism

industry, and can also be used forrescue and patrolling. Enthusedby the successful test flight thePulchok Campus has decided tooffer an aerospace elective in itsengineering course. Given theright opportunity, Parajuli saysNepali students can compete withthe best in the world because theyhave to overcome not justtechnological challenges, but also

lack of resources and bureaucratichurdles. He feels lucky to be oneof those rare individuals who getsto fly a plane that he himselfbuilt.

Parajuli wants to go abroad tofinish his masters in aeronauticalengineering and return to Nepal.He says: “It is better to be lion inyour own country than than amonkey in a foreign land.” �

The skyis the limit

Engineerovercomesbureaucratichurdles to testfly the firstNepal- builtaircraft

PRAKRITI PATHAK

in POKHARA

POKHARA CITY.COM

16 19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430CITY

KATHMANDU VALLEY

ABOUT TOWN

WEEKEND WEATHER by NGAMINDRA DAHAL

The much awaited westerly front has just grazed far-western Nepalbringing light snow to the mountains. This satellite picture taken onThursday morning indicates a stronger front will follow, building upatmospheric moisture as it moves eastward. Therefore, there is agood chance that this will break the 10-week drought that has affectedcentral and eastern Nepal in the weekend or early next week.Depending on the strength of this frontal system, expect light snowand rain in the mountains, thick morning fog in the Valley, Tarai andinner Tarai. Valley residents should also prepare for a cloudyweekend.

KATHMANDU

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

Jason Statham returns as Frank Martin, the ex-Special Forcesoperative who specialises in high-risk deliveries. In Transporter3, Frank is pressured into transporting Valentina (NatalyaRudakova), the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev who isthe head of the Environmental Protection Agency for theUkraine, from Marseilles. Along the way, with the help ofInspector Tarconi, Frank has to contend with the people whoforced him to take the job, agents sent by Vasilev to intercepthim and the general non-cooperation of his passenger. DespiteValentina’s cynical disposit ion and his resistance to getinvolved, Frank and Valentina fall for each other while escapingfrom one life-threatening situation after another.

Fri Sat Sun

23-3 21-5 20-6

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

'MANDU MANDALA by PRERANA PAKHRIN

EXHIBITIONS

� Symbolic Embodiment by Bidhata KC, 23-29 December, 5PM,Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka. 5553767

� India’s wild orchids and other plants by Hemlata Pradhan,Siddhartha Art Gallery, till 1 January. Sunday-Friday 11AM-6PM,Saturday 12-4PM.

EVENTS� Short Tai Chi Course, till19 December at Himalayan Buddhist

Meditation Centre, Keshar Mahal. 4410402� Christmas celebrations at Dhobighat Catholic Church,

24 December. Nepali mass at 5.30 PM and English mass at 9PM.On 25 December, mass at 10AM. 5526732

� Casablanca, a film at Lazimpat Gallery Café, 25 December6.30 PM. 4428549

� Wisdom of Emptiness course by Glen Svensson at HimalayanBuddhist Meditation Centre, Keshar Mahal, 23-24 December,Thamel. 4410402

� Taïchi Camp at Lakuribhanjyang from 26-28 December, BaseCamp Trek. 44 11 504

MUSIC

� Idiosyncrasy Band performing at Shital Restaurant and Bar,Manbhavan, near British camp, 19 December, 4PM onwards.

� Christmas Jazz Special 2008 at 1905 restaurant by Possie & thefags, 1905, 24 December, Rs 400. 421506

� Tuesday Melody at Jazzabell Café, Happy hour 6-8PM. 2114075� 74 Twister playing live every Tuesday at Moksh, Pulchowk.

5526212� Robin and the New Revolution playing live every Tuesday, 7PM

onwards at Bamboo Club restaurant, Thamel. 470157� Happy cocktail hour, 5-7PM, ladies night on Wednesday with live

unplugged music at Jatra Café & Bar� Live Sensation, live performance by Yankey, every Saturday,

9PM, Hyatt Regency. 4491234.� Dance and Cocktails at Cube Bar, Kamaladi. 4438017� Fusion and Looza Band every Friday night, Bhumi Resto Lounge,

Lazimpat. 4412193� Rudra night fusion and classical Nepali music by Shyam Nepali

and friends, every Friday, 7PM at Le Meridien, Gokarna. 4451212� Sufi music by Hemanta Rana, every Friday at 7.30 PM at Dhaba

Restaurant and Bar, Thapathali.� Fusion and Classical Music by Anil Shahi every Wednesday,

rock with Rashmi Singh every Friday, Sufi & Raga with HemantRana every Saturday, 8 PM onwards, Absolute Bar. 5521408

DINING

� Christmas festivities at KilroyRestaurant, 24 December-9January, Thamel. 4250440

� Christmas Turkey Dinner from 24December-1 January at K-too!Beer & Steakhouse, Thamel,4700043.

� Christmas Special, three-course menu, 1905 restaurant. 4215068� Nhuchhe goes Thai at Nhuchhe’s Thai kitchen, Baluwatar.

4429903� Christmas Goodies at The Lounge, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu.

4489362� Strawberry Etagere at The Lounge from 4.30 PM-6.30 PM, Hyatt

Regency. 4491234� Organic Salad Bar and Steak at Jalan Jalan restaurant every

Friday from 6PM, Rs 650� Plat Du Jour at Hotel Shangri-la, Kathmandu, Rs 600. 4412999� Pasta pesto passion at La Dolce Vita, Thamel. 4700612� Continental and café item with live band every Friday at Vintage

Café and Pub, Woodland Complex, Darbar Marg.� Home made pasta at Alfresco, Soaltee Crowne Plaza. 4273999� Reality Bites, The Kaiser Café, Garden of Dreams, operated by

Dwarika’s Group of Hotels, 9AM-10PM. 4425341� Steak escape with Kathmandu’s premier steaks at the Olive Bar

and Bistro, Hotel Radisson. 4411818� Cocktails, mocktails and liqueurs at the Asahi Lounge, opening

hours 1-10PM, above Himalayan Java, Thamel.� Retro Brunch Barbeque with live acoustic music by Sound

Chemistry, every Saturday, 12-3PM at LeMeridien-Kathmandu,Gokarna. 4451212

� Starry night barbecue at Hotel Shangri-la with live performanceby Ciney Gurung, Rs 999, at the Shambala Garden, every Friday7PM onwards. 4412999

� Kebabs and curries at the Dhaba, Thapathali. 9841290619� lly Expression Coffee at Hotel Shangri-la, Lazimpat and Mandap

Hotel, Thamel

�

19 - 25 DECEMBER 2008 #430 17HAPPENINGS

FLAMES OF FURY: Students from Thapathali Campus burn tyres onTuesday to protest against the failure of the Public TransportationEntrepreneurs Association to drop public transport fares.

LASSES-A-LEAPING: Young girls, dressed in modern and traditionaloutfits, participate in Sakela Sili, a Kirati dance form, on the occasion ofUdhauli festival at Nakhipot on Friday.

KIRAN PANDAY

KIRAN PANDAY

HONOURING THE MASTER: Veteran singer Bhakta Raj Acharya, seenhere with his son singer Satya Raj Acharya, receives the LifetimeAchievement Award during the 12th Hits FM Music Awards at the ArmyClub on Saturday.

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o our country’s name is about to be changed again. The latestformulation that the Maobaddie central committee came up withis: People’s Federal Democratic National Republic of Nepal

(PFDNRN). The fact that the letters ’NRN’ are contained in the newnational acronym must be deliberate.

But as the official name of Nepal gets longer and longer, but have weleft anything out? Just so we don’t regret it later, we should lumpeverything together once and for all and call ourselves: United People’sRevolutionary Independent Democratic Nationalistic Federal Republicof Inclusive Nepal, known in short as: UPRIDNFRIN. That should giveus some added stature at international conferences where our name tagwill be even longer than the DPRK. Nothing else seems to matter, butsize does.

Why is Pukada getting so paranoid these days about ‘The ForeignHand’? After broadly hinting that unnamed members of theinternational community were trying to turn Nepal into a failed state,this week he actually named names at the party conclave and accusedwestern countries and India of arm-twisting him. Luckily, PKD toldhis centcom delegates, he was able to balance this pressure by usingChina as the counterweight. Lotus Flower also seems to be spooked bythe deliberate leak of news that His Excellency met His Majesty, andintelligence of another impending visit by an ex-Viceroy Rajan who issaid to be pally with the erstwhile rajah.

No wonder Comrade Chairman is sweating: he’s getting grilled fromwithin his party as well as from without. This has made hishypertension go haywire as he tries to divide up the spoils ofgovernment to everyone within his party who wants a share of the pie.PKD tried to appease hardliner Kamred Biplop by trying to push him totake the thankless job of heading the commission on land reform, butthe smarty pants refused, so he appointed Comrade Gaurav’s cousin,Horrible Gajurel, who immediately showed symptoms of foot-in-the-mouth disease at the Reporters’ Club.

Till press time, not a single car costing more than Rs 20 lacks had beensold after the new govt regulation requiring proof of income went intoeffect this week. But Marutis were flying off the racks. And over atthe Land Revenue office, bureaucrats were advising property sellers howto under-invoice their land so as to avoid the Rs 50 lack minimum forshowing income source. All for a facilitation fee, of course. Looks likethe well-meaning BRB has underestimated the extreme creativityNepalis exhibit when it comes to cheating the government. The upshotof all this is that there are now billions in black money floating about,and it looks the casions where Nepalis can now legally gamble is goingto be where it is all going to be laundered. And the beauty of it is thateveryone gets his cut, and the GDP expands.

You have to give it to the PM, the man’s a genius. This week, he got toinaugurate the 70 megawatt Mid-Marsyangdi project which was startedwhen Nepal was still a constitutional monarchy, and would have beencompleted four years ago had his guerrillas not threatened and extortedthe living daylights out of the contractors. The supreme irony in allthis was that in the speech he gives before cutting the red ribbon, PKDtakes full credit for the project and even pronounces no more loadshedding. And we find out why: his government is about to declare anenergy emergency and order diesel powerplants to generate 200 MW--ina country with the world’s highest per capital hydro power generationpotential. Why not approve all the hydro PPAs that are in the queue?

The adulteration mafia is also trying to lubricate the governmentmachinery to re-instate the price differential between diesel andkerosene. The demand for kerosene has dropped by 70 percent sincediesel and kerosene were priced the same last month, proving once andfor all that subsidised kerosene was never the fuel of the poor but thefuel of choice for the adulterers.

Tailpiece: Comrade Ferocity described Maoism the other dayas a political philosophy that is “truly scientific”. In thatcase, maybe they should’ve tried it out on animals first.

ass(at)nepalitimes.com

UPRIDNFRIN

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