A Proposition for the Presidential Rule in Nepal

Rastrapati Aau, Desh Bachaau: Mr. President,Defend  the Country’s Identity!

By Divas

The Nepal Government has proposed to extend the tenure for the present Constitution Assembly by 3 more months.

However, most Nepalis – regardless of their identity – have lost all their patience with the present political leadership.

The country is clearly heading toward further radicalization and communal violence.

And there is a strong possibility of outside intervention.

Now the country’s identity is in question.

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Nepal’s political transformation is complete.

Now the country needs to focus only on one agenda – the agenda of economic transformation.

What Nepal now needs is a democratic autocrat under whom the country may focus on economic transformation.

And Dr. Yadav is a perfect candidate for that.

The incumbent Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai is also a competent person – however, the times are not in his favor – both socially and politically.

The Presidential Rule under Dr. Yadav would also be beneficial for the political parties themselves, including the Maoists.

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Therefore, this blogger dismisses all political statements and arguments and proposes for a direct Presidential Rule under Prez Dr. Ram Baran Yadav.

And I direct the Nepal Army to support the President in his mission to defend the country’s identity.

The President may appoint people from different spheres of life – including from the political parties – for running day to day affairs of the state.

Today is also Nepal Bandha – आज पनि नेपाल बन्द छ

Today is also Nepal Bandha.

The ethnic bodies (janajatis) including Newar people of Kathmandu have called the Bandha.

Newars are famous for their communal camaraderie. Newar people of Kathmandu have been instrumental in every regime change in Kathmandu.

So, I also wanted to test the Bandha.

So, I took a different route while coming to my workplace today.

I came via Patan, Mangal Bazar.

Mangal Bazar is famous for its ethnically motivated politics.

While I was nearby a Temple in Mangal Bazar, a middle-aged man stopped me.

‘Looks like there is more air in your tubes than necessary. Let me release some’, he said.

‘Dai, I’m going to my workplace… please leave me, I won’t ride, would only doryaing(walk) until I get to the main road.’ I said.

‘No, you’ve violated our Bandha, so you must pay for it’ he said.

He took out his key jhuppa, and started releasing air from my tube.

I looked at him. He was a middle-aged man. You could read all the life struggles he’d been through from the lines on his face. He’d put a large red Tika on his forehead with the hope that some deity would protect him and his family from all dukkhas and evils in life. Newar people are very religious to this date.

And still he was ‘punishing’ me in front of a temple.

Seeing him bending over my bicycle tyre to flatten it, and wondering at his total ‘being’ and ‘existence’, I felt pity for him. And I laughed.

He looked up at me and asked, ‘Why are you laughing?’

I said: You believe in Dharma. And you’re in front of a Temple. But do you know what you’re doing? Do you really believe that you will get away with the karma you’re doing?

He was a bit startled. Looked at me carefully, and said, “You look like a good man. Therefore, I’m doing a favor for you. I won’t release all the air from your tube. But, don’t go ahead. Look, I’m growing old, therefore I understand what you’re saying. But the people on the Chowk ahead are youngsters. They won’t listen to you.”

Still, I continued my journey. The man was right. The youngsters in the chowk were burning a motorbike. The picture above is of the burning mobike that I took with my cell phone. After all, i’m a citizen journalist….

however, i thought it better to avoid the mob. They were beating the burning mobike in the middle of the road with their sticks.

When I was near Ratna Park, a young boy shouted, ‘machikney, utri. jalaidiu muji’ (get off you motherfucker…or I’ll burn your bike’). I laughed again.  However, I didn’t preach this time. It was useless.

It’s really a strict Bandha today. Even the eateries are closed. Fortunately, I discovered a semi-closed eatery. Two ‘janjati’ people were eating and drinking.

I asked for veg chowmein.

Things are really getting interesting.

Everyone is suspicious of another’s intention.

Even people meeting in an eatery are suspicious of each other.

One of the two ‘janajatis’ looked at me carefully and said: I’m Gharti. I’m drinking, but I’m not Gharti Magar. I’m Gharti Kshetri.

I’d not asked him anything. Still he felt the need to clarify himself. But, I could see that he was lying. He was saying all these things coz I was sharing their table, and yet I was not drinking.

I laughed, and asked: “So, what do you mean….”  His friend said: Oh, he’s just drunk.

I also clarified myself: Look, I’m a Bahun by birth. But I don’t believe in these things. All are equal. I also used to drink. I left drinking coz it was harming my health.

The man became self-conscious. ‘Oh…I speak a lot…I’m drunk….actually I’m a school master’ he said.

I said: Really? Glad to meet you. I’ve been a master myself.

He still looked suspicious of me. He said: No, I’m a government officer.

I laughed again. I said: Look, the leaders are using us for their vested interest. They make us fight with each other, so that they may manipulate.

Then he said: Oh…I’m a fool…I’m really drunk…I’m a Gaule(villager)…I’m a Gothalo(shepherd)…

I said: Look, every profession is equally important. How can the people in the cities get to drink milk unless the Gothalos in the villages do not do their job?

He was even more puzzled. He said: oh….actually I’m a rickshaw wallah….but i’ve nothing to do anything with politics…I just want to work, eat, and drink… I speak a lot when I’m drunk…looks like the alcohol is working on me…that’s all…but I’ve got nothing to say to you…

I said: look, you’re a good man. That’s why you’re saying all these things…and I also speak a lot sometimes…even without drinking… that’s fine..

I also wanted to say to him: Look, who’s not drunk here. Everyone seems to be drunk here. Everyone looks intoxicated. Everyone is in illusion.

However, I didn’t say anything to him. Sometimes it’s better not to say anything.

Yes, I’m Responsible for all the Problems in the World

Of late, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to be ‘social’, I don’t feel like speaking with anyone.

However, even when you don’t speak, people won’t leave you alone.

They ask me: who is responsible for the problems that we’re facing right now?

And I ask them not to ask me such questions.

Coz I’ve found that people ask me questions, and when I answer their questions, they’re offended.

And they’re offended not becoz I offend them, I just state what I see, they offend themselves.

Therefore, I often ask people not to bother me with their questions.

And yet people keep on bothering me with their questions.

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Someone again asked me: who’s responsible for the problems in the society?

And I replied to him: you’re responsible for everything.

And, again, another person offended himself with my answer.

I don’t see any problem in the society.

The problem is in the individual.

The problem with the individual is that s/he wants to take credit when something works.

And no one wants to take responsibility when something goes ‘wrong’.

When something goes ‘wrong’, everyone wants to transfer responsibility on others.

And this is the main reason behind all conflicts: from interpersonal to all social and political conflicts.

What people don’t seem to realize that everyone is equally responsible for everything that goes right or ‘wrong’.

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The reason why people don’t want to take their share of responsibility is becoz people lack spirituality.

People have become too materialist.

Since people have become too materialist, they’re not doing what makes them happy, they’re doing ‘comparative’ things: what makes them smarter, richer, higher, bigger, more powerful,…etc so that they may look down upon others.

And since people are not doing what makes them happy, they’ve become sick spiritually.

Since people are sick spiritually, they don’t enjoy what they’re doing.

And since people don’t enjoy what they’re doing, they find fault with everyone and everything.

And thus they transfer responsibility on others when something doesn’t seem to work.

And this is the singular reason behind all conflicts: YOU transfer responsibility on OTHERS.

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People often ask me: what are you? Rightist, Leftist, Capitalist, Communist, Socialist, Libertarian, Nationalist, Internationalist,….etc

And how can we solve the problems in society and in the world?

People ask me such questions coz they divide the world in two or more folds…they’re still materialists.

Materialists always divide the world in two or more folds, coz they must transfer responsibility on others when something doesn’t seem to work.

People don’t realize that there is yet another dimension, there is yet another approach of looking at the world.

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I do not divide the world in two or more folds: for me all the world is one, everything in the world is interlinked.

And therefore, I cannot transfer responsibility on others.

And therefore, I do not fit in your definitions.

I cannot feed your ego by saying that someone else is responsible.

I will say that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE.

I see that everyone is responsible when something goes right.

And everyone is responsible when something goes left.

And I can’t help if my answer doesn’t satisfy you – please don’t bother me.

And if you cannot be happy unless you transfer responsibility on others, transfer it on me.

Yes, I’m responsible for everything that goes right or left.

how simple are the reasons to be happy

a beautiful girl offered me a cake on the occasion of her birthday

generally, i’m a rude person  and people are scared of me

however, since the cake was really delicious

i could not help being nice, and wished her ‘happy birthday’ really nicely

she laughed…and i felt good

how simple are the reasons to be happy

and how complex people make it !

Why I Support Euthanasia

‘Woman on her Deathbed’ Watercolor by Van Gogh

There was an old woman.

She’d, say, ‘n’ number of  sons. (n=2,34,…), n≥ 2

She also had a daughter/s, but daughter/s do not count that much in this story.

Amongst the ‘n’ sons, the youngest one was the weakest – both financially and in terms of health.

The old woman suffered a stroke in her 60s.

That paralyzed her right body parts, especially the limbs.

Thus, from now on, she’d need an active care-giving support until her death.

All her sons were away from their paternal home with their own family.

Then the question arose who was to look after the old mother.

Interestingly, all the sons & the daughters-in-law wanted to inherit the property, but none wanted to take their mom in their family.

Since, the youngest son was the weakest financially; his family was forced to look after the old woman in their paternal home.

And the sons, their wives, their children would quarrel over the same thing – everyone wanted to inherit the property but no one wanted the stinking old woman.

Another interesting twist in the story – the old woman, now in her 80s, fell from her bed and broke her femur.

And yet she didn’t die.

She becomes totally vegetable – she eats, defecates, and urinates on bed.

And, boy, she’d  really awfully stinking faeces.

Moreover, as an old woman on her bed for so many days, she also developed bed-sores that made her even more repulsive.

You’d feel like vomiting when near her, and some even vomited.

Btw, she was really a brave old woman, for she never complained anything about the pain she was going through, except the occasional bursting into tears.

Everyone wished that it’d have been better if the woman died, but no one dared to admit it openly.

And the ‘n’ sons and their families kept on quarreling over the old woman and her property.

Life becomes hell for everyone.

This is a true story, and I’m sure the story is more or less true for most families, only the number of the family members may vary.

Myself being a Mr-Know-All, I suggested euthanasia for the old woman.

Everyone laughed, but I could read in their faces that they agreed with me inwardly.

But, who’d ask the old woman if she wanted to die?

And who’d perform the euthanasia?

A Prescription on Nepal’s National Disease

Diagnosis:

1. Arrogance

2. Jealousy

3. Greed

Rx:

Insight Meditation – b.i.d.

Advice: Follow up after 1 year

Consultant:  Dr. Divas  Jekyll Quack

OPINIONS, AND ALL OPINIONS ONLY

BBC NEWS WORLD HAVE YOUR SAY
Baghdad bloodshed – what can you tell us?
23 Nov 06, 03:49 PM

Blood-Thirsty Media
The World media’s insensitivity for not reporting with due importance the historic peace deal between the Nepal Government and the Maoists insurgents under the UN supervision is deplorable. The media’s obsession with violence and deaths shows the pathological mindset of those running and consuming it. While numerous episodes of sensational programs and news-items of the bloody conflicts have been covered by all the major news channels and publications, why don’t they let the whole world know when a monumental socio-political velvet revolution of historic importance is taking place through peaceful negotiations in a much experimented country like Nepal? C’mon the peace-loving people of the 21st century World Community, this country needs attention, adulations, and coercion more than ever before to fulfill what it’s commited to itself !!And let the people of other war torn nations like Iraq give serious thought to an alternative way of tackling their crisis!!!
Divas

WHIMISICAL DECISIONS
· At 04:51 AM on 16 Jan 2007,
· DIVAS wrote:
Why is that the whole world including the Americans themselves have to suffer because whimsical decisions taken by an American President?
Doesn’t American president need constitutional check to prevent him to go against his own voters?
Or, Americans are only making Mr Bush for their “Crusade”?
DIVAS

· INDIA RISING
· At 01:38 PM on 31 Jan 2007,
· DIVAS wrote:
India is certainly rising economically and nuclearwise. It’s also making its presence felt in the world politics.BUT India still needs to improve its ‘Big Brotherish’ attitude toward its neighbors. At the same time it can improve its image in the neighborhood by facilitating in the various ethnic conflicts there in.
DIVAS

Live from Hyderabad
7 Feb 07, 05:40 PM
Divas is a bit more upbeat: it’s good that Hyderabad is nowadays Cyberabad, yet I’m fond of the same Hyderabad which used to be famous for its mujra, shayari, and that irrestible thing, paan. But i’ve never been there, i’m commenting on the basis of my childhood days when i used to run away from my house to watch Amitabh Bacchan in a nearby Cinema Hall, dancing with the Hyderabadi paan in his mouth, singing ” ham Hyderabadi..” Seems that gone r those oldie days! A big hug to all Hyderabadies.

Bloggers Nepal.com http://bloggersnepal.com/
FREEDOM TO EXPRESS
DIVAS Says: November 23rd, 2006 at 10:06 pm
Blood-Thirsty Media
The World media’s insensitivity for not reporting with due importance the historic peace deal between the Nepal Government and the Maoists insurgents under the UN supervision is deplorable. The media’s obsession with violence and deaths shows the pathological mindset of those running and consuming it. While numerous episodes of sensational programs and news-items of the bloody conflict have been covered by all the major news channels and publications, why don’t they let the whole world know when a monumental socio-political velvet revolution of historic importance is taking place through peaceful negotiations in a much experimented country like Nepal?C’mon the peace-loving people of the 21st century World Community, this country needs attention, adulations, and coercion more than ever before to fulfill what it’s commited to itself !!
Divas
bihana Says: December 2nd, 2006 at 7:41 am
Divas,
What you say is true but probably the world community is waiting till the peace is actually implemented and democracy restored. Ceremonious or not if monarchy comes back then we will see Nepal back to where it started. The war has ended but peace is not attained yet. The violence has ended but wounds are yet to be healed. The king and the subjects (the monarch and the opressed) still exists, lets have total peace and freedom.

THE KATHMANDU POST Posted on: 28 Jan, 07

http://www.kantipuronline.com/ktmpost.php

Why not dialogue?
Once a part of the CPN (Maoist), the Terai Janatantrik Mukti Morcha is spreading communal violence in terai and it is spreading across the country.
While anyone with even a little sense of justice would hardly disagree that the Madhesis have been discriminated against by the sate since its inception, no one should forget that Nepali people are already fed up with violence in the name of “freedom fight”.
The government has already been directed by the eight parties and other civil bodies to implement all necessary measures to tackle the issues of citizenship and proportional representation. At the same time, it is also the responsibility of the Madhesis to help the parties build a just society. The groups representing the terai people should immediately come to table if they are really fighting for the rights of all the people living in terai.
Divas

NEPALI TIMES http://www.nepalitimes.com/Tarai troubles
Issue #334 (02 February 07 – 08 February 07)
Responsible intellectual and professional Madhesis can’t shirk from their duty by keeping mum and taking double advantage. While anyone with even a little sense of justice would hardly disagree that the Madhesis have not been included in the Nepali nation state since its inception, no one should forget that the Nepali people are already fed up with violence. They’ve not only been discriminated against by the state mechanism but also ordinary hill people. A child in Kathmandu calling out “O bhaiya, eta aaija” to Madhesi vendors is an example. The government has already been directed by the eight parties and other civil bodies to implement all necessary measures to tackle the issues of citizenship and proportional representation. Now the responsibility lies with the Madhesis to stop letting others taking undue advantage. Those spreading communal hatred against Pahadis are not the older Madhesi inhabitants of the tarai but fake “freedom fighters” who’ve infiltrated the border to take advanatage of their dual citizenship. This is going to harm Nepali Madhesis much more in the long run. Instead of voicing their legitimate demands through legitimate means, the movement is taking the path of violent communalism. Still, if the current movement opens the eyes of the Madhesis themselves about caste, faith and gender discrimination within their own community it may be a good thing. Social equality and justice is far more important than artificial national unity.
Divas

THE KATHMANDU POST Posted on: 2007-02-04
Home minister’s Resignation?
The perpetrators of violence and communalism in the name of the movement do not deserve to ask for the home minister’s resignation as a pre-requisite for the dialogue.
Never before had there been this much vandalization and communalism in the history of Nepal, and the HM is directly resposible for taking every measure to maintain law and order in the country.
Had the movement been peaceful, not only the HM, but the PM himself would have been morally responsible for the police atrocities. It was really wrongful to arrest the Madhesi activists in Kathmandu when they were peacefully burning the copies of the Interim Constitution.
It’s not only ridiculous but also suspicious that those resorting to terrorist acts like attacking the journalists, common people, goverment and police offices; vandalizing the ambulances, the HR bodies, and most of all, spreading communalism, are talking of morality and justice.
The PM, the government and all the major parties in the House should directly address the rightful demands of federalism and proportional representation raised not only by the Madhesis but by communities like the Limbuwans, the Khambuwans, the Tharus and others as well.
At the same time, the government should deal with an iron-hand with those perpetuating cowardice acts of terrorism and communalism.
Divas

NEPALI TIMES http://www.nepalitimes.com/
Issue #336 (16 February 07 – 22 February 07)
COMING CONFLICT
Sheetal Kumar makes valid points in ‘Acute hearing’ (Eyes Wide Shut, #335). The government should involve all sections of society through dialogue, interactions, and roundtable talks to decide what sort of federalism and proportional representation would be appropriate for Nepal.
Neglecting an agenda that was raised peacefully will only help extremists like the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, and Jwala Singh’s group, whose only aim is to see their names in the headlines, and who will probably earn their living through maintaining terror and instability on both sides of the border.
The MJF’s demand for the resignation of the home minister is understandable to some extent, but many madhesis and pahadis believe that Krishna Prasad Sitoula’s resignation, instead of solving the problem, would jeopardise the peace process and upcoming CA polls.
Divas

THE KATHMANDU POST 05 March, 07

http://www.kantipuronline.com/ktmpost.php

Convince!
The political parties, the House, and the government should pay heed to the suggestions made by Yash Pal Ghai (“Parties have monopolized every sector”, Feb 26). Dr Alok Bohara, too, had raised similar concerns in the Kantipur daily (Magh 29 ) over the dangers of federalism based on ethnicity.
It has been widely acknowledged that what people actually want is equal treatment and representation regardless of their ethnic, economic, social, sectarian, or gender identity. This is more of an emotional issue of self-respect that is being manipulated by various forces due to insensitive handling by those in power.
As the whole nation is swayed by such rhetoric as regional autonomy, federalism, ethnic identity which are sensitive issues to the national integrity and communal harmony, the state must mobilize all its resources to inform the people on the pros and cons of every issue. It is good that albeit late, the government has started holding dialogue with different splinter groups including the national federation of the indigenous nationalities. The grievances of every group, no matter how small it is or how eccentric its demands are, must be heard.
Divas

NEPALI TIMES http://www.nepalitimes.com/

Issue #338 (02 March 07 – 08 March 07)
CHELIS
I’d congratulated the Charitrahin Chelis in your paper when they first appeared with their daring agenda four years ago. But then they just vanished into thin air. Their sudden comeback has been a little worrying, are they limiting their roles as anti-males, that too, by emulating the same self-destructive macho male image? When will they move away from this Freudian penis-envy? Their proposition of 50 percent representation in the house is certainly relevant and they are right in carrying out various shock-therapies on the pathologically sex-obsessed mindset of our society. But why pass such revolutionary resolutions through rounds of whisky and cigarettes in an underground midnight bhatti? Can’t they make an open declaration in broad daylight so the message is delivered to all sections of society, including that large percentage of their sisters who do not read papers? If they really wish to change the discriminatory and hypocritical attitude of the society they must play a consistent pro-active role, not just by venting off reactive outbursts once in a while.
Divas

Fossil Feul Fued

Fossil fuel feud
Fossil fuel feud

The government should go ahead with its plan to hike the gasoline price keeping that of diesel and other consumer goods the same.

A small percentage of Nepali use gasoline for their transport, and those who can line up in front the pump cursing the government, should be ready to contribute more for their luxury.

Why don’t the mobikers and other users enjoy health, environment, as well as their pocket friendly bicycles? They better commute in public transport if in a hurry.

Marriage is a private affair

  

 A day in 2006

In fact, this is a story of a girl who lived with us indoors – we know about her, and her family almost as well as they know about themselves. We were looking for a dera, and providence sent us here. Two rooms, one of which is the size of a kitchen, were for us, the rest rooms were for them, in the ground floor. Since there is a single bathroom attached inside, we can not avoid each other’s company. The father, mom, son, a daughter, and a small girl of eight – who calls me a ‘chimpanzee uncle’ – from their first daughter whose husband has been to the gulf for obvious reasons.These lines wouldn’t have been written, had there not been a life changing incident. Not for us, but for the girl.

There came a proposal for her, which like almost all parents, they happily accepted. She has already completed her plus two, waiting for the result. The most amazing thing was that she did not say a single word in opposition. I was expecting a bellowing cry from her that she wants to complete her MA or, at least, BA before marriage, etc … but nothing happened of that sort. On the contrary, she was laughing while washing clothes yesterday when her bro made a funny remark that it was her last washing in their family. Today she is going to her hometown in the terai with her father and mom.

The fixing of her marriage was told to me by my cousin. He happened to hear the unavoidable talks next room – which is just a door’s distance. I teased him, “so lost another opportunity, I’d been telling you to marry her, and you didn’t care. Now, you lost her.” He retorted back, “so why didn’t u do then,…” I told him that I ‘d marry a foreigner only, and after all, I’d a generation gap with her age…Besides, her father is so naggingly talkative that no one would like to make him a father-in-law.

I heard her only brother, three years elder, somewhat not satisfied with the hurry the parents were in. “After all, it’s her life… etc” This guy is the only reasonable person in their family. Eight years younger to me, he is an energetic bread-and-other-things-winner for the family. Earns more than 25,000 from school and tuitions – an envious earning for a ‘kid’ of his age and profession. But he, too, could not go against his parents’ decision – another surprise.

I’ve nothing to do with her marriage, or whether she’ll get along with that Danthe or not. I can’t say that she is sad. She looks normal. Her middle sis has a querulous boy of three, and, still she is doing her Bachelor in Pharmacy – something I couldn’t do – bosses around everywhere, including her parents and that fool called her hubby.

No one can plan the future exactly – it’s only a guess – since everything in the world keeps on changing. Yet I find it odd that any educated girl from a Brahmin origin would be willing to marry a policeman – unless she is in love with one. Her to-be-hubby is a Sub Inspector. I suspect that her father, who is a sly person, is knowingly marrying her with a policeman working in the PM’s Office, for his own ‘practical’ reason – not for the girl. Once I’d heard him saying that what a person all wants is sex.It’s not even that I am undermining the boy or his profession. It’s the system of marriage, that I really hate.

The more I think upon it, I’m becoming surer of Chninua Achebe’s remark that ‘Marriage is a private Affair.’Meanwhile, perhaps, better for us, there seems another party in the offing!

(to be contd)

Khuda Hafiz Benazir!

Shocking, yet not surprising.

Benazir herself knew it’s coming soon.

Who’s next?

Nawaj, Pervej, Osama, etc.

But never Bush, Pope, Khomeini, etc.

Why?

The jehadis, though they believe & appear to fighting against the US, are in fact serving the US foreign policy better that any of its allies.

It’d be sheer ignorance to call Bush’s ‘War on Terror’ crusade  has been a failure.

The Bush Team must be congratulated for their success in diverting the jehadis’ attention away from the US to their own homelands.

The US has even booby-trapped the Europeans, Arabs, Asians, Africans, Australians, o my god, the whole world in its remote controlled operations in the Islam World.

In the War between Jesus & Mohammad, Jesus seems to be winning right now.

But how long?

The gods are already eaten up & soiled by the worms, and the puppets are playing God.

And, as they say, nobody wins in a war.

Meanwhile, three cheers for Mr Bush!

Khuda Hafiz Ms Bhutto!

Hillary deserves the White House!

Hail Hillary!

 

American people should be gender bias while choosing their next president – let the former ‘First Lady’ Senator Hillary be the ‘Strongest Person on Earth’.

Take some inspiration from the struggling democracies like India, Sri-Lanka, Pakistan, & the Philippines, where the ‘fairer’ ones have been the strongest leaders of their time.

Isn’t it a shame for self-pampering Americans that they have never elected a female, nor a non-white as their president?

And Hillary deserves the White House; she’s as competent as any of her male rivals.

American people must prove this time that they are not the most rigid, stereotyped, and chauvinist voters on earth.

Let Bill be known as the ’First Man’ henceforward!

Nepal – The Madhesi Movement Lessons – 2007

 

The ‘Madhesi’ groups have yet again announced their fresh agitations. In the violent protests & brutal crush down by the goverment in 2007, more than 40 ‘Madhesi’ protestors were killed & scores of people including the security forces were severely injured.

A review of the crisis.

The Terai Janatantrik Morcha and other communal and regressive groups, as well as the government and the Maoists in the name of controlling them, are spreading violence in the Terai that might spread on the nationwide scale in no matter of time.

The responsible intellectual and professional Madhesis(belonging to the plains) and Pahadiyas(belonging to the hills) can not ward off their duty on such a burning issue by keeping mum with their personal biases and taking double advantages.

Anyone with even the slightest sense of justice would hardly disagree that the Madhesis have not been emotionally included in the nation state of Nepal since its inception.

They’ve not only been discriminated against by the state mechanism, most of the Pahadiyas in Kathmandu still do not treat them as their equals. Calling ‘O Bhaiya, eta aaija’ to the Madhesi vendors by a small kid is a minor example, even the  intellectuals, professionals, and students feel being judged by their ethnic background.

No one should forget that Nepal constitutes multiple ethnic, racial, and religious, as well as a significant number of non-religious sections that need careful treatment and assimilation to prevent the country from disintegration and continual violence.

The mindless violence and terror has threatened the social security not only of the minority Pahadiya population in the Terai but also that of the majority of madhesis themselves.

Instead of voicing their legitimate demands through legitimate means, the movement, no matter led by whom, is clearly heading toward communalism and vandalization.

It’s ironical that those identifying their movement with such noble figures like Gandhi, Mandela, and Martin Luther King are venting off their anger against the discriminatory system imposed by the outdated feudal institutions by vandalizing public and private properties.

Such acts of violence would only deter the nation from conducting the national agenda of Constituent Assembly polls, and formation and adoption of the new constitution. It’s already too late to start a new revolution – rivaling with the neighboring countries for educational, economic, and technological growth.

Now that the PM has been obliged to fulfill the Madhesis’ and other ethnic groups’ major demand of federalism and has also requested for the dialogue to settle the remaining issues, the responsibility now lies on their shoulders if they want to see Nepal as a single nation.

The Limbuwans, Khambuwans, Newars, Tharuwans & others too have already begun their strike with similar demands, and, in all probability, others might follow the suit.

Still, it’d be commendable if the ongoing movements would open up everyone’s eyes on the inhuman discrimination made by the privileged  high-class, rich, educated, and highly male-dominated society against the women, dalits, and the minority community.

Instigating communal violence in the name of civil rights and brutal crush-down by the government to control them would only help the comeback of the feudal ghosts with their scary agenda of forceful national integration that can not be tolerable to any free thinking human being.

Social security, peace, and justice are far more important than artificial national unity.

Viruses Sans Borders – Bird Flu in India Nepal & South Asia

                                                                                                                                                     

Health workers seal a sackful of chicken after culling birds at a poultry farm in Margram, 240km north of Kolkata

WHO has warned that the outbreak of bird flu in India’s West Bengal State is more alarming than it appears.

The worst hit areas have also very poor Human Development Index(HDI) records.

Children playing nearby dead chickens, dogs devouring the diseased fowls, and farmers hiding their birds from the officials indicate the gravity of the epidemic.

One health worker admitted that she’d never encountered such a difficult outbreak compounded by human ignorance and poverty.

The farmers are furious at the government for not providing medicines for their poultry!

The chickens are even smuggled to other villages, or are sold at low prices at the local markets.

The people are so ignorant of the hazards of possible mutations of H5N1 Virus that they are happily buying ‘meat’ at ‘damn cheap’ prices.

The West Bengal state has a very high population density; and international borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.

Before the outbreak spreads to other areas, including the countries of the South & East Asia, and then to Europe & Americas, the government should buy the poultry from the reluctant farmers who are unwilling of let go of their income sources.

The world community should also help India in curbing the crisis, as the stakes are not only local, but global.

Americans, Ask your President Hopefuls!

                     

           The towers of the World Trade Center burn shortly after United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower on the right. To its left is the still smoking North Tower, struck earlier by American Airlines Flight 11.(Wikipedia)

By Divas

The world has never been so paradoxical: prosperity is immediately followed by partisanism.

Population, now, is not a liability but a powerful resource.

Globalization & Separatism, Western consumption pattern and cultural assertiveness are growing side by side.

The shifting balance of power in the economic, technological, military, culturlal, political, and demographic spheres has caught the humanity in the most dangerous catch22 situation.

However, panic and indulgence into the rhetorical mud-slinging can not be allowed to go further.

The leaders in every sphere of human activity must convince to their masses that:

*Bushism is as dangerous as Ladenism.

*Crusades & Jihads are both foolishly self-inflicting.

*The political borders of all nations must be respected.

The whole philosophy is addressing conflicts requres a radical reformation.

Multiplicity and conflicts need to be seen as opportunities for re-evaluating the dogmatic visions.

Temporary patch-up works of conflicts resolution attitudes must give way to more sustainable conflict transformation strategies.

Changing Perceptions – Change in World Order

Victim of Madhesi-Pahadi communal riot in Kapilvastu,  Nepal

Darfur Refugee Camp in Chad
Date 2003–present Location Darfur Status Conflict ongoing; humanitarian catastrophe (est. 200,000-400,000 dead and 2,500,000 refugees)
Combatants
JEM factions NRF alliance	Janjaweed SLM (Minnawi)  Sudan	African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
Commanders
Ibrahim Khalil Ahmed Diraige	Omar al-Bashir Minni Minnawi	Luke Aprezi Martin Luther Agwai
Strength
N/A	N/A	7,000

 (Wikipedia)

 

Conflicts seem natural among human civilizations.

 Only the nature of conflict changes.

After the WW II, two types of conflicts prevailed in the latter part of the 20th century; viz ideological & civilizational.

*Ideological conflicts: Pre 80s, Cold War, US Vs USSR, Communism Vs Capitalism, Bipolar World

The fall of the communist empire in the Soviet Block was followed by a series of ethnic/racial genocides mostly in the Balkans, Mid-East, Africa, and Asia.

*Civilizational Conflicts: Post 90s: No matter what Bush says, its a multi-polar world.

Heterogenity in the population has been increasingly becoming a risk factor for conflicts.

Intra-religious and Inter-religious conflicts are changing the paradigms of the world order.

People now define themselves in terms of ancestry, religion, language, institutions, customs, and regionality.

The traditional idelological & nationalistic identities as well as the political boundaries of all nations have been rendered porous.

The euphoria of the fall of the Berlin Wall was soon to evaporate.

Chinese Muslims were to to walk thousands of miles crossing several borders to Chechnya to fight against the Russians.

In their ‘Fight Against Terrorism’ Americans were to find their own citizen as the Taliban fighters.

Once the Maoists in Nepal gave up their arms sidelining the ‘Barrel of the Gun’ policy, scores of armed outfits mushroomed up threatening the very social fabric with deadly communalism.

Bare Facts on Indo-Nepal Relations

Indo-Nepal Border

The Madhesi Movt is certainly heading toward what Prof Huntington said a ‘Fault line War.’

It’d be sheer ingnorance or mischief to call the movt as directed by India or the royalists.

However, the concern that genuine Madhesi cause has been overshadowed by the Hindu Fundamentalism needs no more explanations.

The bare facts are:

*The MPs of Bihar & UP openly incited the public for cleansing the Pahadis from Terai during the Kapilvastu riots.

*An ex-Indian Army General indicated a possible millitary intervention in Nepal by India.

*The pro-Hinduism BJP chief L K Advani expressed his furor on declaring Nepal a secualr repulbic.

*The activists of BJP in India are blockading the movement of tankers ferrying petroleum to Nepal, showing their solidarity with the demand of ‘Whole Terai, One Madhes State.’

*The Indian media are reporting the ongoing movt by Nepali Madhesis as ‘ the movt of people of Indian ethnicity being brutally suppressed by Nepal Govt.’

*The Madhesi leaders refusing to hold dialogues with Nepal govt, are willing to do so inside the Indian Embassy.

*The so-called peaceful movt with bomb blasts and arsons.

Sadly, seems like  things are really turning the Kenyan way.

Related links:

OHCHR Press Release:

http://madhesi.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/press-release-ohchr-nepal/

Amnesty International Release:

http://madhesi.wordpress.com/2008/02/21/nepal-police-target-protesters-amnesty-international/

A Counter-Discourse on Madhesi Theory

Activists and supporters of various tarai parties stage a demonstration at Janaandalon Chowk in Biratnagar on Friday welcoming Thursday’s agreement reached between the government and the United Democratic Madhesi Front. (pic:ekantipur.com.np)

By Divas

Congratulations to Madhesis for their achievement in claiming their identity & rights.

While most of the Madhesis were celebrating their victory, one of the armed Madhesi groups killed a Khagendra Limbu in the Terai for being a ‘Pahadi’.

Some Madhesi intellectuals, media persons,  students, & political leders, most of them enjoying the peace & comforts of Kathmandu & abroad, are wrongly applying the postcolonial concepts of ‘otherness’ & subaltern theories in the context of Nepal; therby creating a dangerous Madhesi Discourse promoting radical politics & polarization.

The discourse of demonizing ‘Pahadis’ is certainly going to be counter-productive to Madhesis themselves.

The proponents of Madhesi Discourse have ignored the anomalies due to caste & class coflicts within & between the Madhesis & Pahadis – both being rooted in the same principles of social division propounded in the ancient  Hindu regulation the Manusmriti.

The wrong focus has generated various communal outfits which are mislead into believing that all their social & political problems are due to the ‘Pahad’(Hill) hegemony over the Terai people. Just like the political parties in Nepal blaming everything they can not handle on the defunct(?) King!

The continual splitting of the Madhesi armed groups numbering more than a score indicates the gravity of  communal tension within Madhesi community.

This also shows that the political & communal conditions in the Madhes will not be very different from that of Bihar & UP of India – criminal gangs in the guise of liberators & protectors would be operating there.

The militarization & crimilization of the society may be further aggravated with the emergence of Muslim, ‘Pahadi’, & other communal outfits.

Thus, the seeds of animosity & communal hatred that the Madhesis intellectuals, media, & politicians are nurturing by misusing the tools of postcolonial theories, would certainly raise the intra-cultural conflicts in the whole Southern Terai of Nepal.

OK, Call Me a Traitor!

 

Now that it’s nakedly(not only stark) clear that there had been a positive role on the part of the Indian Govt. in tackling the Tarai crisis, this blogger expects some more hue & cry from the seasonal diehard nationalists against the ‘Indianization’ of Nepali nation.

Given the geo-politico-cultural position of Nepal that you can not change, you can never avoid the Indian influence; if not positive – then be ready for the negative.

If the two Mukherjis – Pranab & Shivsankar – had not been instrumental in persuading the Madhesi leaders come to a compromise with the Nepal Govt, then who were able to prevent the Advanis & Sindhals Team pouring ‘Hindu Ghee’ in the Tarai agitation?

OK, let’s assume that all the ‘seen’ political actors play their ideal indifference to what what goes in Nepal, then who could stop the criminals, terrorists, & radical ethnic outfits?

Some propose of playing the ‘China Card’ against India – what about the Chinese envoys consulting India first on Nepal matters?

And why shouldn’t India sympathize the Madhesis of Nepal given the latter’s cultural, political, & if needed, criminal link in Bihar & UP?

After all, Nepalis seem to be glorified when a Bhadgaule Topi wearer, despite him being an Indian national serving the Indian police, forcibly became the India Idol.

How many Nepalis think why Tenzing Sherpa adopted Indian citizenship & why why Udit Narayan’s nationality is always in question?

Let me callously ask how many true Nepalis, including the  NRNs(read Non Returning Nepalis), are ready to fight the cultural(Bollywood included obviously), economic, & political imperialism of India which even the US & Pakistan find irrestible?

You’re free to call me yet another anti-national element, an Indian stooge, a traitor, or the likes.

But I need no more proofs to be sure that that definition if applied on me, spares no one.

No more Ostrich-ism, please!

No Woman No Cry

By Divas

There’s a lot of noise about the Int’l Women’s Day in the media.

All are preaching repeatedly the same boring thing: Education & Empowerment.

Does education really empower women?

Or, does it make them more vulnerable?

And what about happiness?

Does education & empowerment bring happiness to the descendents of those women who’ve been deprived of the same since the begining of civilization?

The measure of happiness is read on the scale of freedom.

If education makes you a Simon de Bouvre, or a Hellen Keller, or a Parijat – Bravo!

But if you turn up to be among Virginia Woof, Sylvia Plath, Marilyn Monroe – isn’t ignorance bliss?

Osho says that more than political & economic revolutions, the world needs a Sexual Revolution.

Simply saying patriarchy is evading the question – say it categorically that your Churches, Mosques, & Temples are behind all atrocities against women.

Our Fathers, Mullahs, & Pundits are responsible for all our sufferings.

Women have always been linked with sex more than anything else.

Ironically, they too, seem to have accepted the label.

Sex has been related with character.

And educated women are supposed to possess extra-ordinary character.

In this part of the world, a woman is always paranoid about ‘losing her character.’

And losing her character doesn’t mean she does something wrong, or harms someone – it means how others’ judge her.

The more she’s educated, the greater become her fears.

Education that liberates is wonderful.

But education that confines a person within one’s own paranoia is meaningless.

Let the day come soon when there’d be no Women’s Day!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Sanket of Armed Politics in Nepal

 

After reading Sanket’s story in The Himalayan Times, I could not help getting emotional myself.

Sanket is the pseudonym of a member of an armed outfit fighting for their own state in Southern Nepal.

Due to the ethnic cleansing strategy by people like Sanket, hundreds of ‘Pahadis’ have been either displaced, or killed, or living under continual terror of communal violence.

Still, one  could not remain unmoved when ‘tears trickled down Sanket’s eyes’ when he was asked about his kids.

That Sanket chose to be a ‘revolutionary’ was his own decision – so he will have to face the consequences.

But why should his innocent wife & six kids have to suffer for what he did/or does?

The govt & political parties should do everything to bring people like Sanket into the mainstream politics.

If Sanket wishes to come home, don’t make him stay outside for long.

Let him in, immediately!

Nepal: When Buddha Gets Beaten-up in His own Homeland

By Divas

Ask any Nepali to introduce his/her country, and look at the aura of pride when they say:

Mount Everest, & the Buddha’s Homeland

Keep a safe distance from a Nepali before you suspect that Buddha was not born in Nepal, but in India!

Although predominantly a Hindu country, there are more songs dedicated to Buddha than any Hindu deity.

A famous patriotic song by Bhaktaraj goes like:

“Where there are the eyes of the Buddha – pious, calm, & compassionate

There lies my country Nepal, the land of perpetual peace…”

And has anyone visitng Nepal missed Ani Choying Dolma’s meditative melody?

“Let my heart be free from all pollutions

And may i utter like the Buddha”

(My apologies if the translations from Nepali are not justified)

Forget politics!

What could be more barbaric than dragging the Buddha’s disciples by their holy robes, simply because they were peacefully protesting in front of the UN office in Kathmandu?

One can only imagine the consequences of such humiliations, had the protesters been a group of Hindu Sadhus, or even Muslims!

Did anyone notice that the ever vigilant eyes of Buddha are somewhat different nowdays?

But Break, My Heart, for I must…’

Van Gough: A Beautiful Depression

By Divas

A research conducted by the BPKHF, Nepal points out three major causes for depression among Nepali women:

* Marital Conflicts

* Socio-economic Stress

* A family member with a serious health problem

The most vulnerable are the women of the age group 20-50, especially the pregnant ones.

Children & women are worst affected by the wars & social unrests.

The findings are strikingly similar to the researches conducted all over the the world.

This also shows the universal nature of human suffering.

No wonder that ‘like parents, like children.’

Reminds of reading somewhere that the greatest thing a man can do for his kids is to respect their mother.

However, it should also be noted that men’s violent nature itself is an indication of underlying mental disorders.

Therefore, looking at such universal psychological problems through the dogmatic feministic perspective would be equally fallacious.

Nevertheless, every life can always be prevented from ending up as a tragedy by some sort of positive interventions.

It’s also said the greatest sin is to worry, for a worried person creates a painful aura around him.

Mental disorders, especially depression – a major cause of tremendous sufferings and suicides, can be managed very efficiently if not cured.

Almost all sorts of negative & destructive behaviors like alcoholism, aggressiveness, addictions, obsessiveness, fanaticism, phobias, anxieties, apathy, mood swings, etc, etc, can be taken one or the other form of mental disorders.

* Psychiatric medications

* Psychological Counselling & Therapies

* A Spiritual Outlook

* Meditation Techniques

are the greatest discoveries made for the mental well-being of the human civilization.

How Irresitible is Nepal Maoist Chairman Prachanda?

A meeting between the Election Commission and the leaders of the big three parties — Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist) — at the Election Commission office, Monday. They discussed ending hostilities among electioneering party workers. Seen in the picture (from left) are Madhav Nepal, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist chief Prachanda. Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokharel is in the foreground. (Online Photo )

By Divas

Prachanda’s pitiable from-frying-pan-to-fire-itself gestures show it all.

Prachanda – one of the masterminds behind brainwashing their cadres to believe in the violent nature of the state.

Many, including the anti-communists, would hardly disagree up to that point.

Then they gave a fallacious mantra to the confused lot of romantics: that violence cuts violence.

They took a lot of time, thousands of killings, & millions of sufferings to recognize that their version of truth leads a society into a myriad of deadly confrontations.

And that countering the violent mindsets with even more violence created yet more violence.

Thanks to the quick realization of the vicious-circle, millions of lives were saved & innumerable sufferings were averted.

Prachanda, once again, is believed to have played a very positive role in persuading his own comrade colleagues & cadres who were hell bent on their ‘Kill or Die’ strategy that the time was ripe for yet another jump: a peaceful landing.

No one denied that despite their brutality which is better not to mention at present, the Maoists played an important positive agents for the Great Jump that the feudal Nepali society took by absorbing the social consciousness of the 21st century standards.

And the people were prepared not only to forgive but also reward the Maoists in the 1st deferred CA polls.

Prachanda enjoyed a lot of public & worldwide media attention as a truly revolutionary figure for his transformation from an underground Jungle Lord to the Lion of pragmatic communist ideology who could persistently mention Gunman Mao’s & the Lotusman Buddha’s preaching in the same breath.

Prachanda acknowledged & promised to free his party from all pollutions, which in his own words “infiltrated the party during the process of becoming the Ganges of Nepali politics.”

However, even Prachanda appeared naïve in comprehending that the 19th C rules of the Jungles do not hold true in cities & marketplaces of the 21st C – which proved a boon for the cunning national, regional, & international demagogues.

While their agenda prevailed in most of the government decisions, the Maoists themselves incurred a heavy loss, especially in the Terai, owing to their junglee attitude which was manipulated by other forces in their own favor.

The Outcome: A thrice deferred CA election, a country in shambles, a chaotic political football ground where everyone is a foul-mouthed-foul-player & there’re no convincing referees except the friends from all over the world.

Still, Nepalis love football, & they too have refereed in other countries, & they believe that foul players gonna play fair one day; the sufferings that people have gone through have made them even wiser, & they’re all set to provide everyone a space through the upcoming CA election.

A Bachelor Travels to Fewa City

“Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside,..” “Hello, I wanna go to Fewa Tal?”

“That’s where it goes, step in.”

“But you said Lakeside only. Which Lakeside do you mean? I heard that there’re many lakes here, & I wanna go to Fewa Tal.”

“Same dai, Fewa Tal & Lakeside are the same thing.”

“Anglicization of a place,” I begin brooding.

“Veg Momo?”

“Sorry, no Veg Momo in this Lakeside area. If you wanna eat vege Momo, go to Mahendra Pul. We get chelokhelo (enough) fish & meat in Pokhara, hence it’s rare to find veg items. Would you like to have Veg Chowmein instead?”

Indeed, the signboard proclaimed, ” Please visit us for tareko, bhuteko, jhol, jhinge varieties of fish, & for pure Khasi(a he-goat), Chicken, Buff Momo, Chowmein, tounge, the brains, liver, intestines, & for Dharan’s Black Pigs’ items.”

“And what not,” I remember someone chuckling; “they eat everything a Buffalo gives, except its droppings!”

Chowmeins remind me of the MSG. Aha, there, “Please give me those boiled meshed potatoes.”

“Mmm…the achar has been jhaneko with herbs like jimmu & timmur & it’s distinctly Pokhreli.“

“The people here are really more hospitable than that of Kathmandu”, I conclude. “And broadly speaking, except the foreigners, they’re of five types: the small and/or flat-nosed Hindu or Buddhist Mongolians, the medium-sized-flat/round-nosed Hindu Aryans, the bearded-long-nosed Muslim Aryans, the mustached-long-nosed Hindu Madhesis, clean-shaven-long-nosed Hindu or Jain Marwaris, & since I’ve also seen a Church, the hybrid-not-easily-discernable Christians.”

A tourist gal is bargaining,” Look, I’m an honest person. So, I expect you to be honest. Got it?”

Yes, Mam, Yes”, says the Man at the HIRE MOBIKES HERE!

I remember a columnist quoting some boat-driver: Even a buffalo from the Lake Side can speak fluent English.

A white-woman who I guess must be a Scanadivian asks the boat-driver to take her pictures: one here, one here, one here…., OK, thank you!”

I look into the mysterious Lake water: I see the fish camouflaging by taking the colors of the weeds, the small baby fish swarms which looked like the original inhabitants of the sea: they’ve taken hundreds of generations to adapt themselves to the Lake-weeds – I look like a Darwin in the Fewa water.

A UN chopper flies just above the Lake: so, the UN peace-keepers too need some peace of mind!

Ok, there is the Goa Restaurant. Pokhara is truly a multicultural place; I’m again reminded of the Folk-Laureate Ali Miya.

“Stop making hasty generalizations. People everywhere are the same.” I murmur to myself.

The whole of Pokhara’s Thamel comes to a halt suddenly; a swarm of mobikes thunder the area like one gets to see in Cowboy films: Baishakha pailo haptama, Maobadi Sattama.(Coming 1st Week of the Month, Maoists would be in the reign).

The procession at the speed of 25 Km/hr takes 10 minutes to complete. An elderly woman waves back at them. A girls laughs, “It’s the last day of CA election campaigning.” “The Maoists still have a good presence here,” wonders a shopkeeper to his friend. The buffalos straying on the road run for a help.

And just yesterday, I’d seen two Paharis on a mobike, announcing: “For a New Nepal, vote for the Nepal Sadvawana Party!”

And, I heard a Nepali of Japanese origin making his speech the same day. A Nepali version of  Alberto Mujimori, lol!

“Even the dogs seem more relaxed here,” another American told his Nepali friend.

 

Kathmandu, Pokhara, Machhapuchhre & Seti

By Divas

When one stands at a certain corner near the Mahendra Pul at Naya Bazar in a clear morning, and looks north, it appears like Pokhara is wearing a snow-made Palpali Dahka topi.

The Fish Tail or Machapuchrre hovers so near that you can stretch your hands, and hug him.

If you wish to discover the place being your own guide, walk northward keeping the Tail in your focus. One hours walk from Chipledhunga, no matter which route you take, leads to the Seti at the upper Pokhara.

When one listens to the roaring Seti, & the echoes returned by the nearby boulders, one gets an eerie sensation of being alone in the midst of a large number of people from the past and present whispering together. The eeriness heightens near the Christian cemetery where you’d see the crosses like those in the horror movies.

That Hesse’s river was not fictional, & if one stayed there listening to Seti for a long time, there was the real danger of becoming Siddhartha. Hence, one longs for the city cacophony where one feels at home, & flees the laughing Seti which merges all voices into a single hum.

The Seti water is literally whitish as her name suggests, you wonder what gives the rivers their color – some are green, some blue, some brown, & some even grayish-white like Seti; as if she was the holy water mixed with ashes, & descending from Lord Shiva’s matted hairs. The clean water that looks medicinal due to her strange color tempts one to embrace her, but a minute’s kiss reverses the mammalian temperature – sending shivers that defy the scorching summer sun.

The contrast inside & outside the water makes one to contemplate at the strangeness of geographical variation – a perspiring tropical climate on the lap of one of the Earth’s chilliest Himalayan ranges. You raise your head to see the Tail again, and lo, it’s gone behind the surrounding clouds!

Pokhara mimics Kathmandu in everyway. Even the place names like Bagbazar, New Road, Budhanilkantha, New & Old Bus Parks, & the narrow street lanes of olden times near the only pet God of Pokhara – the Bindhabasini. Even the Sukhawati Buddhist Gumba resonates with Sastrartha noises ignoring the Buddha’s Samyak Bacha.

The stinking garbage strewn on the Seti banks at some places, & the people standing at their door with three or four large sacks from each house, waiting for the Municipality truck, caution the Pokhrelis not to be swayed by the Western notion of city that mutated once beautiful Kathmandu into a Garbage Valley.

So long Fewa, so long Fish Tail, & what did you say Seti – Bon Voyage? Thanks, so long, until next time!

Nepal: Where Mao Wins Election

 

NEPAL - U.S. Terror Watch enlist Maoist Party Loses War, but Wins Election

Dream Merchants in Troublesome Victory

“We ask all, including the international community, not to suspect on our commitment regarding multi-party democracy.”  – Prachanda, Chief of Nepal Communist Party(Maoist) & C-in-C of People’s Liberation Army(PLA)

“…we are also somewhat uneased by the sudden & unprecedented responsibility that comes with victory.” – Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Chief of Parallel Maoist Government during Insurgency

The landslide victory of the Maoists in the Constituent Assembly polls exhibit the immense desire of the people for a complete overhaul of the state structures.

The verdict for change applies not only to all the organs of the state, but also to the Maoists themselves.

The greatest casualty in the election has been the Maoist & other ethnic hardline theory itself that fallaciously relied solely on arms as the means for social revolution.

A great blow to the corrupts demagouges as well by proving the adage: you may fool a person for some time, but you can not fool a people forever.

The Maoists’ victory also indicates the resistance against present & emerging superpowers, suggesting for a reassessment of the current political, military, economic, & cultural interventionist foreign policy.

Maoists’ Test of Courage

Members of the Maoist Victims Association, wearing black bands on their mouth, are arrested by riot police May 26 after a silent protest march near the royal palace in Kathmandu where they planned to plead for food and shelter. (Photo: STR / AFP-Getty Images)

An ambulance ambushed by Maoists

Let this remain a nightmare: When the Maoists started civil war, they killed people as a punishment of spying their activity. (Pic: Sagar Shrestha,Nepalphotographs.com)

By Divas

The greatest test of moral courage for the Maoist-led government would be to apologize publicly for all the atrocities committed on people during their People’s War.

The Maoist supremo Prachanda has rightly sensed the distrust for the Maoists among a large section of the population despite their sweeping victory. And better if they realize that the distrust is not America or India incited, but made in Nepal.

How can people forget the picture of a teacher mercilessly hacked just like a goat, or a passenger bus being blown to pieces in Supremo Prachanda’s own home district?

If Prachanda, Baburam, Badal, & other Maoist leaders – now CA members & new leaders of the New Nepal – really feel the responsibility of public mandate they’ve received, as they say, better they begin their New Nepal jouney by apolosizing formally for their atrocities.

The Maoists have been rewarded more than they deserved for their contribution in empowering all maginalized sections of the society – & now Maoist need to prove that they really deserve to lead Nepalis.

To prevent Nepal from slipping into Cambodia or Bolivia kinda mess, to discourage the new forces from raising their arms, & to dispel all aprehensions as Prachanda asked after winning the election, the Maoists must confess all their past mistakes – their first governmental decision being a concrete demonstration of humility.

Capital Flight from Nepal

The business sector suffered mostly due to the Maoist insurgency in the last 10 years, and now it’s upto them to build up confidence.”
Kush K Joshi, President, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry

“Wise & learned people lead our party, not the stupid ones.”
Prachanda, Maoist Supremo

Understandably, the share prices in Nepal dipped sharply among the news of the Maoist Party inching closer to majority in the Constituent Assembly election held on April 10.

And even the Maoists themselves fear that the temporary fear during the transition might become a new trend despite assurance from leaders for following a ‘capitalistic’ market economy.

The fears, however, are not unjustifiable. Although the Maoist leadership sounds really wise & pragmatic, they have not returned or made public about the confiscated land & property during the People’s War – not even after being a component of the Seven Party coalition government for the last two years.

Moreover, the grassroot Maoist cadres still beleive in the same hit & run theory – attacking all those not conforming to their ideology or hooliganism. The latest high-profile example could be the present Finance Minister Dr. Ram Saran Mahat who was allegedly attacked by the Maoists while celebrating his victory in the election.

“If the Maoists can thrash an incumbent government minister like me so easily & get away with that, how can a commoner feel secure under their leadership?” asked Dr. Mahat.

If the wise & learned Maoist leadership does not effectively control its cadres, & starts  a massive confidence building campaigns immediately, they’ll neither be able to check the capital flight to India which has already begun in effect.

The greatest folly lies in considering the Maoist tail to be heavier than its head – its simply unbelievable that the leaders who controlled their cadres even after the killings of dozens of their comrades in Gaur, Kapilvastu & Dang massacres, can not check the high-handedness against general public.

The real question would be why don’t they?

And if they won’t, then who else?

Thick & Thin of Nepal Politics

 Why are the former two big & ‘democratic’ parties reluctant to join the Maoist-led government?

These democratic parties & their leaders seem concerned for:

*the Maoist cadres’ high-handedness

*stunning election result

*being led by a US Terror Watch listed hardcore communist party

While it’s now naked clear that the Maoists emerged as the largest party by resorting to the hook or crook strategies, one must not forget that most of the votes they got were not for communism at all.

In fact, the people who voted against one party Royal Regime would never withstand some other politburo elites as their Messiahs either.

Let this be written on the Ratna Park Wall in large bold letters – the Maoists would not be able to successfully sustain their communist ideals, if any, for long.

However, as Nepal is at a very critical stage after the cliched 238-yrs-old Shah dynasty Rule, the older, & therefore, mature parties must co-operate with the namesake Maoists for framing a democratic constitution as well as the new government.

Leaving the Maoist party on its own would be like resigning all responsibilities to a mishevious hyperactive teenager – a reactive but unworthy act on the part of ‘grown-up’ parties.

The parties should shock the Maoists this time – by making their presence in the government, & not allowing the Prachanda Pathiks get away merely with a lip-service call for a coalition government.

Let no one forget, to quote CK Lal, that people no longer shoulder those leaders who refuse riding comfortably through thick & thin.

Language Games in Nepal & Blasts in India

Kathmandu Protest Against VP Jha for taking Oath in HIndi

By Divas

Nepal Protests

The legislative session of the Constituent Assembly unanimously passed a resolution of urgent public importance, calling upon the people to maintain communal harmony in the society in the backdrop of the nationwide protests that ensued after Vice President Paramananda Jha took oath of office and secrecy in Hindi language last Wednesday.

Now that the Supreme Court of Nepal has ruled the Vice-President Paramananda Jha with a Show-Cause notice regarding his oath in Hindi instead of Nepali, the agitating groups better revise their street protests. At the same time, all the concerned parties including the members of the civil society must codemn the vandalization of MJF’s office in Kathmandu, so that the situation may not escalate into a nationwide communal violence.

A positive thing regarding Nepal’s communal harmony this time has been the widespread insistence that the VP’s oath taking controversy should not be portrayed as Hill Vs Terai issue. While a significant number of people from the Terai have criticized the VP for not taking the oath in his own mother tongue Maithili, there are many Kathmanduites who believe that the matter of language should be left to a person’s personal conscience and preference.

India

 

Meanwhile, the Indian PM Manmohan Singh, after visiting the families of Ahmedabad blasts, has vowed to defeat terrorism at any cost. Manmohan’s determination as an executor of law and order may be understandable. However, can extremism of any sort be dealt with force and would rigidity on the part of government yield any desirable result?

Georgia Crisis: Views From Mount Everest to Mount Khalatsta: Implications for Nepal

South Ossetia Flag and Map of the Region

By Divas

Hardly anyone with the slightest sense of justice would disagree with the view that Russia as the “disproportionately” powerful participant in the South Ossetian conflict must observe maximum restraint in its “peace-keeping” attacks on Georgia. Russian leaders must understand that their country is not only a regional “Big Brother” but a major superpower that counters aggressive American policies in every world conflict and especially in the United Nations’ Security Council. However, in the name of safeguarding Russian citizens, aren’t President Medvedev and PM Putin following President Bush’s domestically as well as globally much sneered upon adventures in the Muslim world?

The Caucausious mountainous region of Ossetia shows the troubled history of political experimentations at the humanitarian cost. Ossetia used to be a part of Russia until the region was divided into South and North Ossetia by the central Soviet government in 1922. South Ossetia was then designated as the autonomous region of Georgia, while North Ossetia later known as Alania became one of the republics within Russia. South Ossetia presently a Georgian territory comprises of 70 per cent of population from Russian ethnicity while 30 per cent belong to Georgian origin. Perhaps, the ethnic and linguistic mixture of the South Ossetia’s population is similar to the Terai or Madhes of Nepal in the sense that a large percentage of Nepal’s Terai population has close cultural links with the people of Northern India. Georgia, with around 100 ethnic groups making up its population, is a diverse and muti-ethnic country like Nepal.

The Soviet troops were dispatched in the region as a peace-keeping force when fresh conflicts began between the Ossetians and the Georgians during the late 80s.The South Ossetian legislature had even declared South Ossetia a sovereign state within the USSR in 1990. After the collapse of Soviet Union South Ossetians began a struggle to free themselves from Georgia and align with Alania as a Russian republic. The conflict seemed to subside during the late 90s with the Russian troops as the peace-keeping force in the region. After the Georgian independence with the collapse of the USSR, the country has been a close ally of the USA complicating the situation furthermore. Russia sympathizes with the Ossetians citing its cultural, ethnic and geographical proximity. The Ossetians argue, if Kosovo can declare independence from Serbia why can’t the South Ossetia? Sounds quite logical. What about Chechnya then?

Doesn’t the Ossetian Conflict shade some light upon the future of Nepal which is embarking on the path to federalism based on ethnicity?

This blogger feels that whatever the issue including secession must be dealt through negotiations instead of allowing them escalate into communal conflicts. Making a taboo of an issue, be it nationalism or sex, only promotes human suffering even further.

Water Water Everywhere: Kosi Floods & Indo-Nepal Politics

The Koshi Barrage

By Divas

Indian and Nepali authorities instead of accusing their counterparts better concentrated on the humanitarian work for more than 50,000 displaced victims of the Kosi River flooding. Entire villages including the thatched huts and livestock have been swept away. Thousands are still missing. Those who had taken refuge in the government schools or on the sidewalks of the nearby towns after their villages were inundated with the flood water are facing food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare shortages. There are reports of people suffering from typhoid, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis.

Nicknamed as the ‘Sorrow of Bihar’ in the GK books, the Kosi(or Koshi) is the largest river of Nepal that flows from Nepal to India. The river is also known as the ‘Saptakosi’ in Nepal owing to its seven major tributaries which themselves are ferocious streams most of them originating in the Tibet. The Kosi itself converges with the Ganges along the planes of India.

The Kosi Barrage was constructed in 1954 under Indian assistance and inaugurated by the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru. The Barrage which lies on the Indo-Nepal border is a contorversial issue in Nepali politics, for a treaty allows India to control and maintain the Barrage made on Nepali land. Nepali communists have been accusing that the Koirala Brothers Trio – Matrika Prasad, Bishweshwor Prasad, and Girija Prasad – sold the rights on the major rivers of Nepal namely Kosi, Gandaki, and Mahakali to India. Even Prachanda, while visiting the affected area called the perennial Koshi River flooding as Nepal’s National Crisis and termed the Barrage as a ‘historic blunder’ hinting at the ‘unequal’ treaty with India.

India’s interest for controlling the rivers is twofold – safeguarding its people from the floods in the rivers that flow to India and make use of water for irrigation and generate hydroelectricity. Still, even the leaders of India’s Bihar State accuse their central government as well as the Nepal Government of being insensitive to the sufferings of the people residing in the area. Incidentally, former Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav is presently the Railway Minister of the central government. Most Nepalis believe that Nepal loses a significant part of its hydropower share generated by India on Nepali rivers.

Ironically, while Bhutan even as India’s security protectorate makes a sustained development through hydropower projects on Indian investment, Nepal still suffers from its what Dr. Jagadish Sharma calls “Struggle for Existence” squeezed between the two nuclear giants India and China.

On Indo-Nepal Relations: Review Nepal’s Foreign Policy

On Indo-Nepal Relations from an Unknown Nepali’s Perspective

By Divas

The world’s fastest growing economy India has put a high barrier on Nepali garments import as a souvenir to the world’s newest republic neighbor. It was, however, not unanticipated. Indian Embassy in Nepal had already expressed its annoyance at Prachanda’s first official visit to China. India had insisted to adhere to the “convention” of making Delhi as the first official visit, but Maoist Party Chairman Prachanda, citing to invitation for the historic Beijing Olympics, made his pilgrimage to Prophet Mao’s land. Immediately after landing on Kathmandu Airport back from Beijing, Prachanda declared that the New Nepal would stick to its conventional “Panchashil” (Five Principles of the defunct Non-aligned Movement) policy of the Cold War era and his another pilgrimage would be to New Delhi.

New Delhi bosses were further inflamed by the responsibility of the massive human catastrophe incurred by Bihar people due to Kosi floods that was supposed to drown only the Nepalis. What seemed to be around 50,000 Nepali victims of the flood turned out to be “a cumin seed in an elephant’s mouth” compared with the millions of sufferers in Bihar. The Kosi, infamous as it is, breached not only the embankment in Nepal, but did not respect the Indian border either. The result: a man made tragedy of global proportion in Bihar.

Interestingly, the Koshi Project controversy has brought the contradicting “anti-Indian” Pahadi and “Pro-Indian” Madhesi public opinion in Nepal at their unanimous conclusion: the Koshi Project has been what both Pahadi PM Prachanda and Madhesi FM Upendra Yadav commented, a “historic blunder” for Nepal. The technical and bureaucratic aspects of the Koshi Project can be fairly assessed from Nepali hydro-expert Dipak Gyawali and Indian journalist R Krishnakumar’s views. One just needs to peek into any of thousands of magazines from India to realize how the Indian intelligentsia has tolerated political and bureaucratic corruption as just another unavoidable game of the scoundrels.

There are some very descent politicians in India from I. P. Gujral to Sitaram Yechuri who believe in making good neighbors through good conduct. Indo-Nepal relationship has always been cordial at the business and public level. However, the sorts of those who shut down Hajmola factory in Nepal or those who slap a ridiculous levy on Nepali goods in India and impose an embargo on Nepal prevail time and again. The Indian regime has undoubtedly inherited colonial mindset from the British Raj. But, do the foreign policy strategists in Delhi believe that Nepalis would surrender to Indian political hegemony? Culturally, Nepalis are very much influenced by India, but at the same time, Nepali nationalism has also grown stronger than ever before. Even the Madhesi community that India had been banking upon owing to their similarity with Northern Bihar people is increasingly getting suspicious of Delhi’s intentions.

Hence, no one in Nepal is shocked by Delhi’s indirect ban on Nepali products. The only thing Nepalis find it strange that it’s happening under the leadership of a highly respected academic premier of India Dr. Manmohan Singh. Everyone knows that once Prachanda compromises some of his “revolutionary” and “nationalist” fervor seen as “anti-Indian” by New Delhi, there would certainly be some relaxes as a token of supremacy. The same policy always works for New Delhi babus – monarchies have been toppled and regimes have been changed through the economic asphyxiation policy. However, such forced compromises would only fan India resentment in Nepal that Delhi so much abhors, helping the proponents of “Tunnel War” with India. How long would the politicians play their petty squabbles at the cost of common people?

Perhaps, better if Nepal reviews its foreign policy of “equidistance” to both its neighbors. Nepal has to choose one between its neighbors. Choose any one – but equidistance doesn’t work. The New Nepal optimism of double digit growth by making Nepal a corridor between Sino-Indian trade would soon prove a farce. Just imagine, how could Delhi allow Nepalis to have a double digit growth when its own “boom” costs millions of people starving to death in Bihar, Bengal, and UP? Therefore, Mr. Prachanda, either you openly side with Beijing people if they really allow you, or accept Delhi’s blackmail of “Security Umbrella”.

Did anyone hear how elated Nepal’s Supply Minister sounded when he was reporting that Indian ambassador had given assurances of smooth fuel supply to Nepal?

abc

abc

God’s Creatures in Kathmandu

Fiery God inspires protests in Kathmandu

By Divas

The ongoing protests by the Newar community in Kathmandu may be the first major public defiance faced by the barely one month old Maoist led government. The protesters clashed with the police calling for the shutdown of the markets surrounding the Durbar Square area condemning Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai’s announcement of reducing the budget on traditional rituals.

The Maoists, who were overwhelmingly supported in the capital by the Newars during the Constitutional Assembly elections, felt the heat so hard that Dr. Bhattarai had to apologize for infringing on the “cultural rights” and announce immediate resumption of the funds for “sacrificial rituals”.

However, the violent protests against the government is not only unjustifiable, but also another example of sheer non-sense prevailing Nepali society. Each year thousands of animals worth millions of Rupees are offered to the deities in the rituals according to the Hindu and Mahayana Buddhist traditions.

In the GadhiMai Mela (Worshipping of the Goddess) alone, more than 40,000 animals are killed to “appease” the Goddess. In another ritual practiced in Kathmandu, a live goat is thrown into a pond and youths jump into the water biting the animal to death.

Until recently, being the only Hindu theocracy in the world, such traditions were encouraged by the state to preserve the monolithic culture of the ruling classes. The people of New Nepal being the inhabitants of the newest secular republic in the world must also review their nonsense traditions.

The irony this time is that the Maoists who have been held responsible for sacrificing more than 15,000 human beings for “grabbing” the power were the only government in Nepal’s history who dared detaching the state from the costly and cruel animal sacrifices.

If everything can be acceptable in the name of rituals and tradition, then why was the Sati Pratha – in which the wife is burned alive in the funeral pyre with her dead husband – abolished from Nepal?

The Maoists and their allies better “watch” their public image mirrored in this incident. Unless they abstain from coercing people to behave according to the party guidelines, even such positive and pious intentions of refraining from animal-killings would invite confrontations.

ABC

Terrorist From Nepal Shakes Hands With Terrorist From New York

Prachanda & Bush – BTW. Who’s the Terrorist?

By Divas

“Like America itself, I didn’t find anything exceptional about Mr. Bush either” said Nepal’s Prime Minister Prachanda about his short tête-à-tête with President George Bush. Within a month of his election as the world’s newest republic’s first prime minister, Comrade Pranchanda had already made official visits to China and India before he embarked for the United Nations’ Assembly in New York.

“Naturally, everyone there were curious to learn about me as a former revolutionary turned elected prime minister” beamed a buoyant Prachanda talking to the media persons in Kathmandu back from New York. Chairman Prachanda seemed narcissistically proud over his image as the U.S. State Department’s Terrorist enlisted Maoist Party Chief attending a reception hosted by the proponent of War Against Terror Prez Bush himself.

Within a month of accessing to the power through the ballot by putting aside his bullets under UN supervision, Prachanda has paid tributes to the three giants who influenced much of the political upheavals in the 20th century – Mao Zedong in Beijing, Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi, and Karl Marx in Germany. “No one like Marx has been born in the last 1,000 years” claimed Prachanda during his stop-over in Germany.

However, Prachanda’s dialogue delivery according the audience he faces has earned him an image of the “chameleon” politician. While he was desperately seeking for terror tag removal and international support for his party and repeatedly vowed his party’s commitment to peace, competitive democracy and market economy in New York meetings, even quipping that Lenin himself would have adopted a market economy had he lived a few more years, Prachanda and his party member’s have been repeatedly toying with their agenda of “New Democracy” back home.

“Be assured that the Nepali people will not allow you to completely sidestep the issues of freedoms, liberties, democracy and political process in the name of developmentalism” a Nepali professor Dr. Alok Bohara from New Mexico University warns Prachanda suspecting the latter’s recent coinage of “new model of democracy” to replace the present Westminster model of Nepal’s legislature.

People’s Republic of Nepal?

Maoist Army: Get over the Hangover dudes!

By Divas

Nepal’s Maoist Party central committee has been discussing Prime Minister Prachanda’s proposal of calling the present state as merely a “transitional republic” and work toward establishing the “people’s new republic”.

Just a few days ago in New York, Chairman Prachanda had promised that he’d persuade even the opposition Nepali Congress – a “bourgeois” party for the Maoists – to join the government. This shows that Prachanda realizes how crucial public opinion would be for the stability of Maoist-led five-party coalition government.

Prachanda even asked everyone for collective effort against the “reactionary forces who are intent upon disintegrating the Nepali nation”.  Seeking support by scaring the public of national disintegration has been a cliché in the Nepali politics.

On the other hand, former PM and Nepali Congress chief G. P. Koirala, who after stepping down had said that he didn’t feel like complaining against anyone, has accused Prachanda of heading toward a “despotic communist regime”.

Similarly, several Terai armed groups have been holding a meeting in an undisclosed location in Northern India to fight against the “Gorkha-hegemony” collectively.

The immediate concern for the Prachanda-Government is to engage the dissidents into meaningful dialogue. The government’s call to the armed-groups for the talks is certainly welcome, but not enough.

In such conditions, the Maoist Party resolution of heading toward their “people’s new democracy” would only strengthen suspicion among the opposition as well as the Nepal Army. At a time when the integration or rehabilitation of around 20,000 Maoist Army has not been yet resolved, any attempt of “radicalising” the politics would not only be against public interest, but against the Maoists themselves.

Nepal Maoist Dilemma: Economy Vs Communism

Poverty in Nepal: Maoists better focus on real issues

By Divas

Nepal’s Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda has, perhaps for the first time, acknowledged that his party’s mission for political transformation has been completed with the country’s transfer from monarchy to republic. Prachanda, while inaugurating a Charity Hospital donated by a Nepali millionaire from Russia, Dr. Upendra Mahato, asked the Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) to support the government’s efforts for “economic revolution” by investing in the country.

Similarly, Maoist Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, contrary to his party’s objective of establishing a single party rule of the “proletariats”, has observed during his visit in the US that, “no other system except the multi-party democracy” can guarantee political stability in Nepal. Dr. Bhattarai’s “democratic” remarks came after the US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher made it clear that his country was in the mood of “watching” Maoist behavior for some more time before removing the Maoists from Terror Watch list.

The World Bank too put the conditions of watching Maoist policies and performance regarding free trade and corruption control, before releasing any budgetary support to the Nepal government.

However, the Maoists are facing increasing resistance back home. The central committee meeting of the second largest party in the Maoist-led coalition government, the United Marxist-Leninist (UML) Party has accused the Maoists of heading toward a “single party despotic rule with ultra-leftist digressions”. The third largest party in the government, the MJF, has already condemned Prachanda’s call of adopting “new model of democracy” as authoritarian intentions.

Maoist hardliners who fear their party of losing “revolutionary zeal” must understand that during a time when the richest economies are battling against their worst economic crisis, the Maoist-led government can not fulfill its budgetary promises without foreign investments. Past experience shows that even the domestic capital has a tendency of “flying” to India and elsewhere during the unstable political climate in Nepal.

At a time, when inflation in Nepal has already crossed 13 percent, it’d be in the interest of the Maoists themselves if they focused on economic agenda, and, at least for the time being, forget their “revolutionary” political rhetoric.

The Maoist Mecca-land China’s experimentations prove that poverty alleviation and economic transformation through foreign investment requires a more pragmatic rather than dogmatic approach.

ABC Blog

Will poverty remain in Nepal forever?

Kids see what Wise Grown-Ups fail to Notice

Dear Editor,

 

One evening I was in a busy street of New Baneswore in Kathmandu. Suddenly I noticed a balloon-seller on a bicycle targeting his trade on little kids. He was really busy. Some kids were with their mothers, and some others were with their fathers. All parents were happily conceding to their kids’ demand of buying the balloons.

 

Suddenly a middle-aged woman was seen walking with her daughter. Her bodice was tattered. Like all other kids, the small girl also asked her mother to buy a balloon. The mother lamented of not having any money. The girl threw herself on the road and started crying. “I don’t have any money even to buy some rice, how can I get you a balloon,” The mother told her daughter and kept walking. Seeing her mother walking, the girl also followed her, but still crying. What a heart-rending sight…! I was distressed.

 

Will poverty remain in our country forever? How long would it take to provide the poor with a piece of cloth on their bare bodies, some food in their hungry stomachs, a roof over the homeless ones, education, health and security?

 

Saugat Mishra

Class: 10, Suryodaya Sai School

Imadol, Lalitpur

 

*Translated From a letter published in the Kantipur daily on Oct 13.

ABC Blog

Integrating Maoist & Madhesi Guerilla Army: Post-Conflict or In-Conflict Nepal?

By Divas

The debate on the fate of Maoist Army has intensified with Prachanda’s declaration of “integrating” the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) guerillas into the National Army within three months. The Nepali Congress Chief G P Koirala warned of strong protests against the idea of integrating a “politically indoctrinated guerillas” into the National Army. The Terai parties like MJF & TMDP also have strongly objected to the “wholesale” integration of the Maoist guerillas into the Army. Similarly, Nepal Army Chief Rukmangad Katwal has reiterated the Army’s policy of accepting only those “deemed fit through free competition.” The Maoist hardliners insist on bulk integration of PLA into the Nepal Army to form a new National Army.

Amidst conflicting opinions, United Nations’ Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) Chief Ian Martin , without mentioning the word “integration” has expressed his doubt over Prachanda’s three-month time frame. Martin hinted at the complexity of the issue saying that it’d be “extraordinarily fast for everything to be completed within a period of three months”.

Tackling the issue of “integration” or “rehabilitation” of around 20,000 UNMIN certified Maoist combatants would be the most daunting task for the political leaders after the peaceful abolition of monarchy and promulgation of republic in Nepal early this year. However, some Nepal Army officers claim that “integration” of the guerillas would not be of much concern provided the politicians refrained from attaching their personal egotism with the issue and begin vigorous but informal track-three consultations among the stakeholders.

Meanwhile, PM Prachanda has clarified that he too was not in favor of bulk integration of PLA into the Nepal Army. The Maoists hardliners better take into account of the Terai groups who demand bulk introduction of the Madhesis in distinct units within the National Army. The bulk integration of Maoist guerillas into the Nepal Army would automatically justify the Madhesi demand of similar nature.

ABC – A Blog on Current Affairs

Educational Reforms in Nepal: “Mother, Can I Go to School With Brother From Tomorrow?”

 

By Divas

The Maoist-led Government of Nepal has vowed to eradicate illiteracy from the country within two years. Article 17(2) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal (2007) holds the State responsible for educating its people, “Every citizen shall have the right to free education from the State up to secondary level as provided for in the law.” The 2005 estimate of literacy rate stands at an average of 47.5 percent. Not only the total literacy rate remains one of the lowest in the world, but also, like in all other South Asian countries, gender remains one of the major factors in determining one’s access to education. The female literacy rate remains at 29 percent, less than half compared with that of male being more than 64 percent.

 

The school systems in Nepal represent its class, caste, and gender anomalies. Government Schools are meant for people from lower strata of society and the girl children. Some daughters often make their poor parents dumb-founded by asking, “Why don’t you provide us with a quality education like our brothers get in the boarding schools?” 

 

One of the reasons why Maoists proudly identify their bloody war as “home-grown revolution” is their focus on educational discrepancy among the population. The Maoists have been vociferous as well as violent against the dual mode of education – the government vs. private education. Thousands of “English Boarding School” run by private sector were forcibly shut down and the “bourgeois education” promoting class difference was replaced with  “revolutionary education” by the Maoists in their strongholds during the “People’s War”. Time and often the Maoists issued circulars warning all non-public educational institutions to either voluntarily shut down or face “dire consequences” including the “purge”.

 

A large section of the Nepali population still believes that the Maoists were not wrong in identifying the root problems in the education sector of Nepal, among others. However, being the largest party leading the country after the Constitutional Assembly elections, the Maoists have realized that they can not shut down the “boarding schools” which claim to provide an alternative to thousands of students who’d otherwise surely head for India and other foreign countries. Some dreamy ones even wonder what if the Maoists make it mandatory for all government staffers to enroll their children in government schools only.

 

Understandably, the “mastermind” Maoist Finance Minister Dr. Bhattarai had no other option except for proposing a heavy investment by the government in the education sector. Ironically, the success of all Maoist initiated programs depends on smooth cooperation from other parties in the country and a hefty contribution from abroad.

 

Anyway, hardly anyone would disappoint the “n^th-times marginalized” girl student from a government school who believes with hope in her eyes, “We’ve suffered a lot due to our ignorance. Let’s give the Maoists a chance to prove themselves, at least in eradicating illiteracy and improving the standard of community schools”.

Madhesi People’s Armed Rebellion in Nepal

Armed Madhesi Outfits Operating in Nepal along Indo-Nepal Border

By Divas

More than eight people have been reported to be severely injured in a powerful bomb explosion inside the Nepal Government office in a southern town of Janakpur. The incident, however, was not unanticipated. Human Rights activists and reporters working in the area had already expressed their concern over increasing violence and the delay in talks. Although the government has formed a commission asking scores of Madhesi armed outfits for unconditional dialogue regarding their “political” demands, some Madhesi outfits accuse that the government is not sincere for a meaningful dialogue and the call was just a ploy to fool the international community.

The explosion that rocked the hometown of Nepal’s president Dr. Rambaran Yadav took place just a day after the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Bamdev Gautam warned the armed outfits of stern actions in case the latter refuse government’s call for the dialogue. This shows, once again, that those in power need to focus on diplomatic & informal discussions with the outfits instead of provoking the “terrorist outfits” that operate along the cultural fault lines. DPM Gautam who has always advocated for engaging the Maoists to persuade them adopt the mainstream politics must understand that the state & the mainstream political parties have to adopt similar strategy while tackling the Madhesi armed outfits.

The role of some Madhesi leaders & intellectuals seems even more dubious who threaten of launching “another revolution” while bargaining with the government for key positions in the state machinery. India’s as well as China’s in the recent years, unnecessary involvement for a political mileage from Nepal’s conflict has also compounded the problem.

Why don’t the mainstream political parties mobilize their youth forces to conduct cultural programs that would be the most effective way to positively influence people’s mindset? Massive cultural awareness programs should begin from the capital Kathmandu where common Madhesis are humiliated with terms like madisey or marsya by Pahadi chauvinists.

The Madhesi armed outfits, too, better learn lessons from the swift rise to power by the Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) largely through peaceful means of campaigning. Those outfits who have openly declared to have been inspired by Sri-Lanka’s Tamil Tigers, and have also incorporated names like LTTE, Madhesi Mukti Tigers, etc must understand how the Tamil people themselves are suffering in Sri-Lanka due to the insurgency, and the whole world including India finds itself helpless to condemn Sri-Lanka Govt’s offensive against the Tigers.

Who Observes the United Nations’ Day in Nepal?

Hey Kid, Is Your Pa with the UN?  

By Divas

Media persons in Nepal celebrated the United Nations’ Day on Oct 24 by holding the Peace Photo Award 2008 for the photojournalists. For others, despite amidst the news of UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon’s visit to Nepal in late October, the UN Day was just another official Day that was observed a week after the  Condom Day(Oct 17?).  This is not to mean that Nepalis don’t care for the world body, on the contrary, like the proud soldiers of Nepal Army, every Nepali (as well as people from the developed world) would feel proud to introduce themselves as a UN staffer. Like Ian Martin said, Nepalis are also looking forward to UN General Secrectary Ban Ki Moon’s visit as “the highest symbol of the United Nations’ interest in Nepal peace process and commitment to see it fully realized”. Nonetheless, like in all other countries, the UN role in Nepal also remains under severe public scrutiny.

Prof Jayaraj Acharya, former Nepali ambassador to UN, questions the UN’s excuse of lack of budget on the one hand, and the “staffers enjoying their salary without doing any work” and the utility of “smooth UN limousines proudly cruising on the narrow Kathmandu streets” (Kantipur daily, Oct 25). Prof Aachaya also criticizes the UN’s “failure” in responding to the needs of the victims of Kosi floods in Eastern Nepal and that of flood & famine in Western Nepal. Just a day ago, UN’s resident & humanitarian coordinator for Nepal Richard Piper had claimed on UN’s “response” to such situations with food, shelter, water, and health care. Who knows, Prof Aacharya’s sharing of public cynicism toward all “high-profile institutions” might be the result of a long wait since his last tenure for a UN job for himself!

 

Howerver, no one, including Prof Aacharya, doubts the need for UN presence in Nepal. From Maoists to Madhesis, all the armed groups in Nepal have demanded for the UN mediation during their talks with the Nepal Govt. Despite the occasional accusations of inefficiency & impartiality from different sides, the United Nations’ Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) is still monitoring the Maoist Guerillas in various cantonments and their arms stored in special containers. UNMIN played a crucial role in certifying about 20,000 as valid combatants from an army of about 32,000 guerillas. Another UN body, the UNHCR, is also active in Nepal looking after the Bhutanese refugees for more than 15 years who were otherwise forsaken by all concerning countries – Bhutan, India, & Nepal.

Politics of Festivals, Energy & Economic Crisis, Negotiations, and the Gloomy Winter Ahead in Nepal

“Haloween” in the Thirld World: Dipavali Fireworks & Reality

By Divas

An Assessment on Challenges faced by Nepal’s Maoist-led Govt

This year’s month-long season of festivals Vijaya Dasami & Deepawali(Tihar) concludes in Nepal with the celebration of BhaiTeeka(Bro-Sis Day) on Oct 30. However, there remains one more festive occasion, & perhaps the greatest for the Nepali Hindus along the southern plains – the Chatha. This year, Nepali Muslims celebrated their Eid that fell during the Dasain days with extra jubilations – for the first time in predominantly Hindu country Nepal, Nepal Govt recognized the Eid as one of Nepal’s national festivals & declared the day as a public holiday. Similarly, the Christmas has also been recognized as a public festival of Nepal. And the reporters of international media in Kathmandu enjoyed reporting the news of a republican Nepal with the Maoist-led govt becoming even more inclusive in adopting diverse religious & cultural festivals.

However, a tricky winter awaits the conclusion of festivals – for both climatic & political reasons. Not only that the global economic recess & fuel crisis adversely affects the so-called mostly agrarian economy of Nepal, but the power crunch that forced to go for a nationwide load-shedding for about 50 hrs a week would only deteriorate in the dry winter season. After the Kosi floods that paralyzed transport along the National Highway, most of the industries in eastern Nepal are on the brink of collapse. The Nepal Electricity Authority warned of a possible system collapse unless the consumption during peak hours was not minimized. Nepal’s carbon footprint average has also sharply gone up this year despite the worst fossil fuel crisis Nepal has ever faced since the ban by India in 1989. Why are Nepalis following the global trend of energy squandering?

Moreover, the Federation of Nepalese commerce & industry entrepreneurs, the FNCCI, has formally handed over a memorandum to PM Prachanda warning of closing all industries unless law & order conditions improve in the country. Answering to a question by a BBC correspondent on the national responsibility of the entrepreneurs, the FNCCI President Kush Kumar Joshi said, “How can we work by risking our lives amidst increasing kidnappings by the outlaws, & continuous strikes by the workers?” Although Nepal observed the largest number of tourist arrival this year in the past 10 years owing to affordability & hospitality, the number might dwindle down unless the global economy & local law & order conditions improve immediately.

Ironically, the greatest threat to personal security & property comes from the sister organizations associated with the political parties themselves. All the political parties have modeled their youth wings on the Maoists’ Young Communist League (YCL). Moreover, some of more than scores of armed outfits that claim to work for “Madhesi Liberation” & operate along Indo-Nepal Border have already refused the Govt call for the dialogue. Nepali Muslims who constitute the second largest population in Nepal & have been living for generations not only along the plains, but also in the hills of Gorkha, Kaski, Lamjung etc. I was myself amazed to see Nepali Hill(Pahadi) Muslims in Gorkha attired with black Topi(hat) & striped blue lungi with long beards and shaven mustaches.

The religious extremists all over the world can learn some lessons from Nepali Muslims who have earned their respect from all Nepalis for keeping harmony & tolerance despite the recent Mosque attacks by suspected Hindu fanatics from across the border. However, some Nepali Muslims have strongly reacted to repeated attacks on their holy places. Similarly, Christians too have been complaining of discriminatory measures by the State. Still, thankfully cultural tolerance is one innate quality of Nepali society.

The Maoists who are the most powerful political unit at present must observe extreme care while venturing on troubled waters. Nepalis voted for the Maoists despite the latter’s bloody past for only one reason – that the Maoists are comparatively less corrupt & also have renounced violent political path. Nepal was perhaps never this much united ideologically that made it possible for the “velvet” implementation of the republic. Instead of wasting their energy on unsuccessful attempts at further radicalizing politics; the Maoists better demonstrate to the world a revolutionary concept in responsible governance. If the Maoists merely delivered good governance & observed financial discipline, Nepalis would surely be persuaded to follow what Chairman Prachanda calls, the “new cultural revolution” – peacefully.

For, Prachanda is not alone to fear that the nation might reel into another cycle of violence if the present Maoist-led coalition government fails its purpose.

BTW: Welcome to General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon from the United Nations, an organization Nepalis look with high regard.

Who Cares If Obama Wins the US Presidential Race?

Where is Obama? … Oh, there !

By Divas

Congrats to American people on the historic presidential election day that the whole world watches with wonder. Even people of the South Asia are more interested in US elections today ignoring a similar democratic exercise in the neighborhood – the Bangladesh polls. Nepali Maoists are especially hopeful that the new US government – hopelfully under President Obama – would work toward removing the terror tag on the Maoists. Whether you vote for Obama or McCain, do ensure that you have adequate control not only on who gets elected, but also over the president in office as well.

The Bush experience proves the sad “democratic” fact that the president of United States of America can enforce policies against the interest & willingness of its own peoples. However, blaming Mr. George Bush alone for all the pitfalls in American form of governance would only be another illusion that American people need to get rid of. The need for systematic & constitutional reforms in American institutions also demands serious attention from American people & their representatives, so that the incumbent president would not ignore the directives of the House of the Representatives.

The primary concern for the American voters always remains the financial one. While Obama may be inspiring a wave of changes in the US, analyst in other parts of the world are less optimistic of any sweeping change in Washington policies regardless of who wins the race for the White House. Not only American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, but persistent efforts by the US governments to limit the influence of the United Nations are also seen with concern in most parts of the developing world.

Not only the former allies of the US criticize the “War on Terror” & other US policies after the 9/11 attack, many American senators, House of Representatives (H0R) & policy advisers themselves have expressed their concern over the ineffectiveness of the HoR in voicing the public opinion. The recent defection by prominent republican senators & “disillusioned” supporters in favor of Obama against their own party nominations proves that Americans voters in fact have been electing a democratic autocrat who denies listening to the voices of his own people.

The Americans better realize that they can positively influence the whole world by showing a simple example that democracy begins at home.

Can Former Maoist Guerillas in Nepal Fight Against Corruption?

Fighting a war far easier for Maoists than fighting corruption

By Divas

Nepal’s Finance Minister & Maoist Party leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has claimed that the Maoist-led coalition government has identified certain sectors, one being the tourism industry, which would boost national economy despite severe market crisis in the “capitalist world”. Dr. Bhattarai also blamed the nexus of political leadership, bureaucracy, and taxpayers for the high level of revenue leakage in the country. Similarly, Dr. Bhattarai advised private school owners to divert their capital from school education sector to other areas of entrepreneurship.

Nobody in Nepal doubts Dr. Bhattarai’s sincerity for the upliftment of people in the margins. In fact, during the time when Dr. Bhattarai was fighting his guerilla war with government forces, many people used to say, “How can the Maoists be wrong when people like Dr. Bhattarai lead them?” Dr. Bhattarai’s popular base became evident when he got elected in Constituent Assembly election defeating his opponent with the greatest margin in country.

However, as one columnist said, after three months in power, the Maoists must have realized that fighting corruption within state bureaucracy is far more difficult than fighting a guerrilla war against the state. Moreover, how would the Maoists justify the alleged involvement of their youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL), in various abductions, tender-bid bargains, transport syndicate in western Nepal, and even in smuggling sand from Kathmandu valley rivers?

On the other hand, umbrella organization of the private schools has challenged Dr. Bhattarai to nationalize all private schools if he can. Similarly, members of Nepal’s Chamber of Commerce have accused Dr. Bhattarai of being “investment unfriendly” to meet the “ambitious” revenue target declared in his “ambitious” budget for 2008-2009. Despite all difficulties, the Maoists seem to enjoy popular support to carry out their socialist agenda, especially owing to increasing criticism against capitalism in the developed world themselves.

However, Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s denial before the Assembly of the media reports that he had met the prime suspect of the Kathmandu businessman Ramhari Thapa murder case has once again put the Maoist Party sincerity in question. Defence Minister Thapa, despite labeled as a Maoist hardliner, certainly commands respect from a significant section of society. But not only the opposition party Nepali Congress, but Nepal’s trusted media persons who were the eyewitness of Mr. Thapa’s meeting with the alleged suspect, have refuted his claim as “totally false & misleading”.

At a time, when they have the crucial responsibility of managing their former guerilla army, and reach a deal with Madhesi guerillas, the Maoists better resolve their ideological confusion and work toward what Comrade Prachanda prefers calling “public-private partnership”.

Prez Ram Baran & Chutiya Politicians of Nepal

Dr. Ram BaranYadav: who is sick in my country?

By Divas

Nepal’s Physician President Dr. Rambaran Yadav took everyone at the Kathamandu Bir Hospital by surprise when he visited the hospital as a commoner patient, reports Dharmendra Jha in The Himalayan Times daily. As far as I know, no “national dailies” bothered making any report on the president’s visit, except a brief news by Dharmendra in the inside page of THT – & I was never a great nationalist to go through the “government media”. President Yadav dropped by Nepal’s cheapest hospital for a thorough check-up of his dental problem. “President, you have a decay in the root and need to undergo root canal treatment” advised the president’s dentist Dr. Prabin Mishra. After his own check-up, President Yadav inspected the government hospital and directed the personnel to serve people efficiently.

During a time when the experts are stressing on the need for making a clear provision in the constitution regarding ceremonial & executive roles of the president & the prime-minister to avoid a possible power tussle, President Yadav seems to be increasing his sphere of influence positively. The president, despite himself being a Madhesi, has persistently stood against the idea of making the whole Terai a single state as demanded by the Madhesi parties. A Rai from the hills writing to a Nepali daily the Kantipur confessed that the president’s firm insistence on national integrity regardless of one’s ethnicity has addressed the concerns among some Pahadis when both the President & the VP were elected from the Madhesi community. On the other hand, regardless of their political belief, the president certainly is no less popular among the Madhesis than he was, when an underdog Rambaran from the Nepali Congress party replaced the invincible Nepali Monarch as the first president of republic Nepal.

Nepalis are increasingly expressing their frustrations at the power & benefit-mongering attitude of the politicians & bureaucrats in a country which ranks among the world’s least developed countries. PM Prachanda’s refusal of observing such nonsense & truly bourgeoisie traditions like ritual sacrifice of goats, or accepting garlands from the Panchakanyas (five virgin girls) were certainly in line with what he likes to call “discontinuity from the past”. But many charged Comrade Prachanda of nepotism for taking both his wife & son during the recent U.S. tour. Similarly, some Nepalis in Japan began raising funds, and one from Kathmandu even promised to donate a free bicycle to each Assembly member when India government donated vehicles for the transportation of newly elected CA members.

A prominent conservationist requested President Yadav to reduce the latter’s carbon footprint by adopting eco-friendly modes of transport & lifestyle, thus becoming a role model for all. A veteran doctor recalling his recent visit to Sweden & Netherlands expressed his admiration in yesterday’s article for the widespread use of bicycles by politicians, government officials, & commoners alike. Others wryly question the republic agenda when stuck in the traffic jams due to the Sawari (an eulogy or what Dor Bahadur calls a “chakri” word used for former royals & aristocrats’ visit to & from somewhere now used for President, PM & other “high-profile” officials of republic Nepal J).

Hence, President Yadav’s small sawari to a dilapidated government hospital(that too donated by India government) for his dental check-up certainly deserves commendations for giving a message to, in the words of another medico Dr. Ajaya Yadav, “the high-ranking officials, who go abroad even for the treatment of minor diseases and drain out the state coffers”. Ironically, one day after the president directed all hospital personnel to serve people efficiently, the staffers began their politically motivated indefinite strike disrupting all indoor/outdoor services. On the other hand, some “freedom fighters” put up an alliance on the other side of the Indo-Nepal border to intensify slaughtering their own brethren on this side of the border. And our revolutionaries & democrats are still busy in their dogfight over the bone of army integration.

If you really ask me how I’m feeling toward all politicians from right to left and from Pahadiya to Madhise, you’re putting me in real danger, for to be honest I must call them, “ Chor Bhate Chutiya. . . mamamu. . .Byancho. . . ”

Update on April 03, 09: I’ve to admit i could not aprreciate President Dr. Rambaran for suggesting his son Dr. Chandra Mohan as a candidate for the by-election to be held in Janakpur area. It appears that Dr. Ram Baran visited Bir Hospital not to show an example but because his son was also working there as a physician.

Nepal: Sorry Mr. Human Rights Officer, You Were Too Late to Respond

YCL-MYF Clash in Terai Nepal

By Divas

Nepal’s former Chief Justice & incumbent Human Rights Commission Chief Kedar Prasad Upadhyaya blamed the youth groups of political parties for creating lawlessness & terror in the society, and asked for an immediate dissolution of the party youth wings. Mr. Upadhyaya was responding to the public outcry over the violent activities of the Maoists’ youth group the Young Communist League (YCL) & the United Marxists & Leninists (UML’s) Youth Force (YF). The nation’s human rights watchdog Chief also accused PM Prachanda of “obsessed with political issues rather than the humanitarian one”. Mr. Upadhyaya certainly said the right thing, but it was too late for someone in his position.

The opposition Nepali Congress has already made it clear that the issue of Maoist Army integration can not be smoothly implemented unless the Maoists dissolved the YCL. The UML created the YF to “counter the YCL attacks”. Even the incumbent DPM Bamdev Gautam accused his boss PM Prachanda for encouraging lawlessness, & asked for the dissolution of both youth wings – YCL & YF. On the other hand, more than 15 parties have formed their guerilla youth outfit modeling on the Maoists’ YCL. People from all walks of life have been expressing their frustrations at the atrocities & violent behavior of the political parties’ youth wings. Mr.Upadhyaya’s constitutional body the National Human Rights Commission has certainly received several complaints against the extortions, abductions, & parallel policing by the political parties. But, what kept Mr. Upadhyaya from cautioning the government for ignoring human rights violations until the United Nations’ Human Rights Committee condemned the Nepal Government for HR abuses, & the Danish Foreign Minister had to visit Nepal & express his concerns over the undemocratic activities by the political party affiliated youth wings (read youth gangs)?

One expects a rights body to be the first in calling government as well as other rebel & religious forces’ attention for decent & humane conduct toward the dissenting lots. There must have been some valid reason behind the Chief Justice turned Chief HR officer’s delayed justice. Tell me Your Honor, what kept you from making a prompt response to Human Rights abuses – reward or punishment?

Indo-Pak Bickering After Mumbai Taj Mahal Terror Attack: Following Bushism

By Divas

Isn’t India pressing too hard on the Pakistan government for taking action against the suspected militant jihadi fighters in Pakistan? India should not forget that putting a relatively moderate & democratically elected government of Pakistan in difficulty would only help either the military or the extremists increase their influence. Indian leaders seem to be diverting the public anger they’re facing after the Mumbai terror attacks toward Pakistan government. The India Government, media, & public better remember their own slogan which every Bollywood flick repeats these days, that “a terrorist belongs to no religion”. The fueling of Pakistan hatred by the India politicians & media which would ultimately boil down on the Isalm in general is bound to incur a heavy human cost for a multicultural society like India.

India & Pakistan have different government systems. While India is a secular democracy, Pakistan is officially a Muslim nation. This is a major fact that the Indians seem to overlook. If the rulers of a secular India can not take action against the Hindu atrocities against the Christians in Orissa & elsewhere, how can they expect a government in a Muslim nation crack down on the Muslim extremists the way India likes? Indian politicians are taking the same position that George Bush took after the 9/11 attack.

The Bush government fought its war keeping a safe distance from its ‘enemies’ – far away in the foreign lands – so it could ignore the immense human cost that the civilians in the war zone had to pay. The conflict between the born twins & close neighbors like India & Pakistan (whether you accept or not that you’re close neighbors) would not offer the same benefit. Why don’t India & Pakistan learn from the Kashmir mess they’ve created?

A proverb in Nepali goes like, ‘Burning your house to get rid of the mice’. One can merely wish that the India Government & its cunning politicians would refrain from proving the proverb.

Social Turmoils in Greece: Democracy or Anarchy?

Socrates & Democratic(?) or Anarchist(?) Riots in Greece

By Divas

“I am a citizen, not of Athens or Greece, but of the world” – Socrates

We the citizens of the “third world” have been reading that Greece is the cradle of modern democracy. The phrase “Greek Civilization” evokes in us the images of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, & Olympics. However, the ongoing riots there over the police killing of a teenager enlighten one with the hidden & ugly facets of western democracy. The “masked looters” have unmasked not only the corrupt Greek government & politicians, but perhaps the Hellenic civilization itself is not as idyllic as it seems from far way.

If you go by the statistics, the Greeks are not poor & uncivilized people by any standard, & there seems to be little reason for ethnic conflicts. Greek’s GDP per capita stands at $30,500 in comparison to Nepal’s $1,100, & one fifth of Greek labor force are immigrants. The Greek economy grew by nearly 4.0% per year between 2003 and 2007. The country has more than 96 % of literacy rate. The Greek society is largely homogeneous – with 98% of the population being orthodox Greek, & 99 % speak the national Greek language. What really ails the Greeks then?

A BBC report suggested that the protesters must be a group of “communists” & “anti-globalization anarchists”. Others claim them to be poor & unemployed anti-establishment groups of youths. The opposition parties have demanded a fresh election, blaming underlying social inequalities & the government’s policies for the violence. On the other hand, Amnesty International has accused Greek police of disproportionate use for force against the protesters, claiming that the police & government “engaged in punitive violence against peaceful demonstrators”. The protesters have declared the youth killed in the police shoot out a martyr. Don’t all these events sound like coming from a war torn poor country from the third world?

Greek seems to he a politically polarized country between the “socialists’ & the “capitalists”. All these events shatter one’s romantic perception of an idyllic world in the West. In fact, the mode of violence & the underlying causes & politics are no different from what we’re witnessing here in Nepal, except that unlike the European Greece, Nepal is a poor country – insignificant for making any news item in the world media.

Oh, sorry, I forgot, perhaps the “great” warrior Alexander was also from Greece!

Virus killers in Madhesi Politics of Nepal

Rallying for Madhesi-Pahadi Good Feelings

By Divas

Nepal Government & one of the scores of armed groups in Nepal Terai, the Madhesi Virus Killers(MVK) began their formal dialogue from yesterday. While the MVK agreed to hold a cease fire during the talks, the government conceded for treating the armed outfit as a political organization. The MVK forwarded its demands for an autonomous Terai region under the federal structure expected to be designed & implemented by the Constitution Assembly.

India: Psychosocial Background of Madhesi Pahadi conflict

A strong pride inhabits among all Nepalis that they were the only people in the world history who were never colonized by any foreign force. The great pride reduced into “a yam between two giant boulders” has created strong concern among the “nationalist” forces that Indian “expansionist” forces are intent upon Sikkimization of Nepal. The threat of Indian expansionism seems to be rooted deep in the minds of the mountain or hill people. The national paranoia is generally expressed with a phrase in Nepali – India le Nepal Khancha - which can be literally translated as India will gobble up Nepal.

Besides, hundreds of thousands of Nepali hill people work as security guards & other menial workforce in India towns & cities. The plight of Nepalis as “Bahadurs” at the hands of their Indian employers & derogation of their family name has further fueled anti-India feelings. “Bahadur” literally means a brave person, which Nepalis traditionally use as a middle name to denote their self-respect. These workers after coming back home to Nepal harbor & encourage strong anti-India feelings in their society.

Poor Bihari Bhaiyas

The brunt of anti-India feelings among the hill people falls upon the Indian migrant workers in Nepal – mostly from Bihar who work as cycle vegetable vendors in Kathmandu streets – and their look alike Nepali Madhesi commoners. The Nepali Madhesis owing to their cultural similarity with Bihar & UP people are still looked upon with suspicion by the hill people regarding the formers’ nationality & patriotism. The plight of Nepali Madhesis in their own homeland in turn has fueled anti-Pahadi feelings in the Terai. Incidentally, the poor Bihari people seem to fare the discrimination most – be it in Bombay, Assam, or Kathmandu. “Bhaiya” which literally means “brother” is a ‘nigger’ word used to call the Bihari & Madhesi commoners in all these places.

Madhesi Movement: Armed Vs Peaceful

The Madhesis initially raised arms against the state to counter the Pahadi hegemony in the state structures. The early armed groups were the splinters from the Maoists who targeted the Pahadi people in Terai to bargain with the state. Later, especially after the Madhesi Movement of 2007, the political issues were mostly represented by the mainstream Madhesi parties like MJF, TMDP, & NSP. Even the Maoist Party itself has a strong base among the Madhesi people.

Since the Madhesi people did not allow the armed rebellion to flare into a Nepali version of “Tamil Vs Sinhalese” full scale war, the lawlessness of the neighboring Bihar & UP crept into the armed groups reducing most of them into a bunch of criminal gangs. These groups resort to extortion, kidnapping, & ransom killings. In fact, more Madhesis than Pahadis have been killed & tortured by these armed outfits in the recent days. Hence, at the current situation, it’s difficult for an ideologically motivated armed Madhesi political outfit to differentiate itself from the opportunist extortionists & criminals.

Thus, the decision by the MVK for holding a truce, and fight their battle at the talks table certainly brings a new wave of hope for the peaceful resolution of the Terai issues. The MVK’s gesture toward peace would not only put a moral pressure on other armed forces, its cadres might face security threats from the rivals. Hence, the government & media must highlight & praise the MVK’s positive stance, and look after the security of the MVK cadres.

Bravo Muntadhar al-Zaidi For Shoe-Ing Mr. George Bush

Zaidi’s shoe: “This is a farewell kiss, you dog”

By Divas

I’ve been laughing my ass off after hearing the news of George Bush being shoe-ed off by an Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi. The incident might have caused worries to Western, especially the American & European security specialists, with the fact that what if Muntadhar had taken out a gun instead of the shoe and bang bang the president. However, people on this part of the world seem to be sharing their culture more with the Iraqis this time than with the Westerners. For we all know that nothing, not even a deadly M-16, could have replaced Muntadhar’s shoe to express his contempt against the “War on Terror” crusader – the filthy Mr. Bush.

BTW, what is happening to these American Presidents! Billy Clinton fucked his intern & later refused to recognize “that woman”. Father & Son Bushes fucked civilians for Saddam & Bin Laden & called it their crusade. God knows, if he’s there, who Mr. Obama gonna fuck & yell to the world that he didn’t do that.

China’s news agency the Xinhuanet reports that, the Iraqi reporter of Baghdadiya television jumped and threw his two shoes one by one at although a “lame” one but still the world’s most powerful President of America. But alas. . . unfortunately Prez Bush’s baseball skills came handy & he ducked to “narrowly miss being struck”.

A BBC report on the incident comments that in Arab culture, the greatest offence you can incur on your opponent is to say, “I’m going to thump you with a shoe”. In our part of the world too, the greatest expression of contempt toward someone is not to kill him, but to hit him with a really worn out & stinking shoe. Another locally popular medical emergency use for a foul smelling putrid shoe is to make sure that the victim of epilepsy fits takes a deep smell from the rotting shoe & gets back to normalcy.

Apart from the Iraqis & Arabs themselves, the Indians & the Pakistanis must have enjoyed Muntadhar’s daring shoe-ing act. Nepalis too have their own indigenous method for treating the sociopaths & corrupts. People enjoy showing & beating social trespassers with a tattered shoe, put a garland made of shoes, smear ashes on the face, shave at four places on the head, & take a skimpy ride around the thoroughfares. This Nepali indigenous method of correcting the social ills is called Charpate Mudnu – and it’s a very effective measure among the villagers.

Let the Westerners know that even Nepal’s Constitution Assembly acknowledges the use of shoe as a natural expression of contempt. A woman Assembly member recently took off her chappal (sandal) during the Constitution Assembly meet & slapped her chappal on a man whom she claimed was her husband’s murderer – but an Assembly member by the law. And we the fans of Bollywood flicks know what it means when Kader Khan warns you with “joota sunghana” to get you back to normalcy from your fancy imaginations.

Hence, despite all my fake pretensions of good manners, I must say that I really enjoyed Mr. Bush getting his farewell bid with the shoe-ing. I’d even suggest the extremists of all flavors to give up mindless violence & adopt a more effective method of shoe-ing attacks. I’m sure most of the Indians too would have welcomed had the jihadists, instead of attacking innocent commoners in Mumbai Taj Mahal Hotel, given a good shoe thrashing to the cunning war-mongering politicians.

Hey Mr. Bush, here comes my long distance farewell kiss. Wanna Duck it?. . .

& Mr. Bush Ducks it… smart fella!

Terrorist or Muslim Rights Activist: An Interview With Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

Dr. Abdul Ruff was born in Colachal, Tamil Nadu, India and has been a university level teacher at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Mysore University and Central Institute of Foreign Languages, Hyderabad (CIEFL). Ruff writes on subjects varying from Indian politics to international relations, foreign policy matters, climate change, economics, state-sponsored terrorism and sports, etc. He is critical of human right evasions world over, especially in India with regards to Muslim minority in the country.

Dr. Abdul knows several Indian and foreign languages, including English, Russian and Arabic and German. Dr.Abdul Ruff has extensively traveled to Russia, Nepal, Bhutan, etc and claims to be, “the only Indian to have gone through entire India”.

Dr. Abdul conceded to reveal some personal information & address the anxieties expressed in the readers’ response to his writings posted on this blog ABC – Voices Sans Border.

Here are Dr. Abdul’s answers to the questions presented by this blogger.

ABC: You’ve accused the India Government of not paying you a large sum of money (billions) it owes to you. Would you explain how? And would you stop attacking India Govt once it settles your account?

Dr. Abdul: Of course, once I get the amount from Indian government I will not talk about the issue. The amount Indian government owes me as a former employee of its ciefl, Hyderabad, India, is my personal issue, although the behavior of the Institute I served and the government to which I appealed for redressal show the Indian attitude to Muslims in general, is extremely atrocious. Indian Hindus think they can do any thing with Muslims and their belongings, including Mosques because we live in Hindu India and the Hindu decide every thing in the country. Hindus, from my personal experience, think Muslims are their subordinates and we must just do whatever is told to us.

My writings are feared by Indians, because they are frauds and criminals in all respects. The issues I raise in my writings are very close to my heart and feelings. I expose callous attitude of India, USA, Israel and other terror nations toward Muslims. I condemned the state actions in India, Kashmir and now in Pakistan. It is not just India that I criticize, as you know, it is the corpus of policies and practices the world wide targeting Islam and Muslims and other vulnerable sections that I expose.

But being an Indian I am ashamed of the fact that my country has colonized its neighbor Jammu Kashmir and antagonized its neighbors Pakistan and Bangladesh. I am worried that it has amassed weapons including nuclear ones. Weapons are meant for using against Muslims, in particular, could also be uses against other neighbors too. How can India kill thousands of innocent Kashmiris for demanding sovereignty back from Indian yoke?

I highlight problems of freedom struggle by not only Kashmiris, but many other nations too. I express solidarity with Palestine, Chechnya, Tibet and many other nations. I strongly condemn neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism by the so-called democracies that are in fat hypocrisies.

Once Indian government pays me my money and fulfills its commitment for VRS and other benefits, I shall be glad that India at along last paid me the dues. If you as a friend ask me personally ask me abut my gestures for India, then I would say I would also write about Indian politics in general that so far I have abided, even when at the point of a sort of threat by some global newspapers not to publish me if I don’t write made-to-order analyses of Indian political scene which I so gladly do with regard to other countries.

However, the themes of articles vary and they don’t depend on the settlement of my dues by Indian government alone. This arrogance, insensitivity and mischief on the part of government, but Kashmir issue is larger issue involving national fraud, illegal occupation of a neighbor state and constant genocide. Similarly the demolition of grand Babri Mosque in India by Hindu terrorists is linked with Indian criminal policies and has nothing to do with my own issue with Indian government though Indian arrogance is common.

ABC: Many of your readers have expressed their concern over your strong opinions. Some even claim that you must be a terrorist ideologue. Don’t you think that your views brainwash young Indian Muslims for resorting to Islamic terrorism or jihad?

Dr. Abdul: Yes, my opinions are not digested by Indian Hindus as they expose Indian hypocrisy and double-speaks, Indian state terrorist techniques. They all know I don’t belong to any terrorist group, neither Islamic, nor Christian nor Hindu nor Jewish. I campaign against imperialism and colonialism and arrogance in any form and I support Muslims primarily. I don’t buy the arguments about Islamic terrorism etc. I say every religion has terrorist outfits. Many Muslims are playing into the dirty hands of non-Islamic terrorists and their ideologues for cash. I try to prove terrorism is the creation of the West and Israel and USA used it quite successfully in Islamic world and India in Kashmir. Hence they are strategic partners in state terrorism. I want Muslims to comprehend the hidden agenda of the USA-Israel-India and safe guard Islam and support defenseless Muslims globally. I plead them not get into the trap of the anti-Islamic media. Mulsims are enough brain-washed by anti-Islamic media and terror techniques of the regimes.

ABC: In an article you write that your colleagues misbehaved with you in Hyderabad. In another you write that the India Army misbehaved with you during a recent train journey to Trivandrum. You’ve also been accusing the India Government & the mainstream media for unleashing terror attacks on you. Aren’t you suffering from paranoia? Would you illustrate how you’ve been persecuted for being a Muslim?

Dr. Abdul: I got a faculty position in ciefl, Hyderabad without paying any bribe and I occupied many other positions there as a member of governing bodies such as Executive Council, Board and Society and Academic Council on seniority basis and I did my teaching quite well, they all know. But they wanted see me out. Hence they hatched the criminal ploys to disturb me.

Indian state unleashed all sorts of nasty behaviors including remote terrorist techniques to force me to quit job, but they still refuse to pay me the money. While in job they denied my right to work, and rest. The department would hold the departmental council meetings at 12 pm or thereafter on Fridays with a hidden agenda of stopping me from attending my Friday prayers in a mosque. I get up at the time when the actual prayer is due to begin, they would threaten me with punitive measures for ignoring “Indian duty”. This is just one issue here. If I prepare a list of such nefarious activities the Institute was engaged in with my regular life, which would be endless. Remote terror gadgets were used against me in my apartment. Finally they beat me and handed over to Indian police and the Institute criminals escaped from punishment because the Indian judiciary and police are with them.

It was pre-panned attack on me by Indian military forces that used some South Indian military personnel in a running train to terrorize me, or perhaps kill me, but someone intervened and I was safe. The Railway also meticulously planned the action along with military and hence there were no train ticket checking personnel or police in the entire train which was diverted from the usual route on some rail fault. I have written about its global media in detail.

ABC: What do you think of the growing opinion in the non-Muslim world over that the religion of Islam & Quran encourage intolerance toward non-Muslims?

Dr. Abdul: It all depends on what and how one looks for in Islam and Holy Quran. West is puzzled about growing strength of Islam without any proper world leader to guide them. In countries like India, where anti-Muslims rule and use Muslim leaders for making vote banks ready for the polls, the government takes every thing for granted and Muslims pay a heavy price. . Non-Muslims pay some coins and use the Muslims for activities that are un-Islamic or anti-Islamic. The very fact that the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (SAS) has left the future of Islam and Muslims to the Almighty God only shows the strong faith Islam has on God and not on human leaders. Non-Muslims are keen to drive away people from Islam and make them convert into Christianity and Hinduism. Hindutva forces are also making strenuous efforts to get people for Hinduism. But now they are fully exposed as terrorists in India. It is anti-Islamic forces and their media that promote anti-Islamism and make people hate Muslims. Hence Muslims are suffering in global falsehood perpetuated by others. However, it is a different story that Muslims have not realized the trap they are in and are busy cheating one another.

ABC: You’ve been lobbying for a Free Kashmir. Many readers claim that you must be an ISI agent for your Kashmir views. If you’re an Indian Muslim, why are you against India’s sovereignty interests? Don’t you think that Kashmir’s strategic position makes it impossible to stand alone as a nation?

Dr. Abdul: I whole-heartedly support Kashmir freedom from an arrogant and fake democracy India. Bulk of my writings these days is focused on Kashmir and I campaign for the freedom for Kashmiris who have been brutally murdered by Indian terror forces now occupying Jammu Kashmir. I understand, Kashmiri Muslims play a number role in Indian Muslim population and only JK has a Muslim chief minister. But I cannot support their killings by Indian forces for subduing and subjugate their genuine interest. India media and their global agents still argue Muslims are well-off in India and such blatant lies are so common world media. India can always choose Muslims in some states to show that secularism still works in Hindu India. Earlier a few states like Bihar and Maharashtra (Antulay) had a chief minister but Congress in alliance with BJP saw to it Muslims don’t become CM in any state. By using terrorism and appeasement techniques of BJP, India has cleverly kept all states non-Muslim states. The so-called progressive Kerala mostly has Christian CM, but not a Muslim, though Muslims have similar number of people as Christian and Hindus. Even though the political Muslims in the state support Hindu themes and schemes and misuse mosques for garnering votes for their Hindu party leaders.

Kashmiris’ strategic position should not worry India. An independent Kashmir cannot be any threat to India, either, especially there are quite a lot of pro-India elements over there. Kashmir was a free nation before it was tactfully annexed by India which went nuclear, threatening the neighborhoods.

I keep receiving letter from anti-Muslim readers, mainly from Hindus, critiquing me for my support for Muslims, Kashmiris and not opposing Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. They even ask me go and live there. Frankly, some of the _expressions they use do not conform to any decency but their arguments only strengthen my view that many Hindus need medications in mental hospitals. If your mother kills some kids in the neighborhoods and secretly buries them in your backyard and you know that, but you should support that mother, that is their argument in favor of mother India. I say, if you want me go USA, Saudi Arabia or any other country, please arrange my documents, I would consider that, but they are silent…as silent as the secret grave-yards discovered recently in Kashmir.

ABC: Some non-Muslim scholars believe that the Koran verses are responsible for creating fanaticism among the Muslims. Don’t you think that the Koran needs to be re-interpreted like the holy books of other religions to suit the increasingly multi-cultural world?

Dr. Abdul: I am not competent and hence I don’t interpret Holy Quran and the question of the reinterpretation of Quran does not arise at all. I am an obedient believer of Islam for whom Holy Quran is the final word from the almighty God through the Prophet of Islam (SAS). Ulemma interprets Quran in the true spirit of Islamic tenets. It is different story that political Muslims everywhere are busy interpreting Holy Quran only to appease their political bosses and woo the Western and Hindu media, as they want show that they are indeed progressive and tolerant to others insulting Islam and Quran. West is trying hard to provoke Muslims by raking up issues like veil, films on Prophet of Islam etc. Now they expect Ulemma to review the Holy Quran to “update” it with the latest happenings in the world. This is an unfortunate development. The anti-Islamic forces should now understand by calling Islam a terrorist religion, by invading Islamic world on fictitious pretexts, by terror attacking Muslims and killing innocent Muslims, they cannot destroy Islam. Perhaps the Islamic nations, including Arabs, who prefer traded cash and petro-dollars to Islamic tenets, would dilute Islamic teachings and even support the US-led terror wars, but we firmly believe Islam would stay on till the end of the universe.

Row Between the Maoists & the Nepal Army

Nepal PM Prachanda & FM Baburam being escorted by the Maoist Army

By Divas

Army will be out of controversy: Nepal Army General Katawal

A fresh row seems to have erupted between the Nepal Army(NA) and the Maoist-led Government of Nepal. The Army has bas been accused of breaching government orders given by the Maoist Defence Minister, Ram Bahadur Thapa “Badal”. Mr. Badal had issued a directive some days ago to halt the fresh recruitments in the NA immediately.

The United Nations’ Mission in Nepal, the UNMIN, too asked for halting the NA recruitment after the Maoist Army Commander accused the NA of breaching the Peace Agreement terms threatening of beginning inductions into the Maoist Army.

However, the NA refuses to halt recruitment arguing that no objection was made in the past when it conducted similar recruitments twice after the Peace Agreement, and even for this time, the present government gave a go ahead permission two months back.

The Nepal Army is perhaps the only institution that has made positive impression after its constructive role in the promulgation & implementation of the republic in Nepal. Of late, it’s always been focusing on its professional integrity under a legitimate government. Hence, the NA certainly can not risk appearing political by publicly going against the directives from the popularly elected government.

It’s is also unnecessary to sensationalize the issues between the Maoist ministers & the Nepal Army officers either. Let no one forget that the Nepal Army has had expressed its dissatisfaction even with the past governments. The NA had refused to go against the Maoist guerillas after the Holleri incident in 2001 despite getting directives from the then PM Girija Prasad Koirala. Similarly, the NA’s reluctance to go against the agitating people during the Mass Movement 2006 was one major reason for persuading King Gyanendra to handover the reign to the political parties.

The political ground reality is that the country can not be further radicalized as the Maoists desire, nor the normal course of historical changes can be reversed. Contrary to what some “external forces” believe, the majority of Nepalis would still like to see the Maoists at the driver’s seat, but they’d also make sure that the driver refrains from getting “revolutionarily” drunk.

The Maoists would the serve the people better if they focused on translating the already achieved political metamorphoses into the everyday life of the commoners – by controlling political & bureaucratic anomalies/corruptions.

And since both the Maoists & the NA have preached a lot, they now need to show through practice.

Sixteen Hour Load Shedding in Nepal: How the Hell Can One Run the Government?

By Divas

Nepal enters a sixteen hours daily load shedding schedule from today. The Government has already declared a nationwide power crisis. PM Prachanda & FM Baburam certainly realize the gravity of the situation – both have identified the electricity shortage as the single most threatening issue against their government, and even against the ongoing so called peace process. PM Prachanda in a “talk program” on the challenges faced by his government almost exasperated: Bijuli nai chaina, bhutro desh chalaune? (No electricity – how the hell can I run the government?) Therefore, while the ruling Maoists are busy on blaming past governments’ policies for the present power crisis, the main opposition NC & UML blame the Maoists for opposing such mega-hydroelectric projects like the Arun III, Seti, Mahakali, & Melamchi.

The country has some interesting experience to share from its existing 12 hours power cuts. Nepal Police says that incidences of robbery & petty crimes go up during the dark hours. Hospitals refuse accepting emergency & injury cases due to their inability to operate such vital machines like MRI & CT. Nepali doctors are adding laurels to their professionalism and ask for extra privilege & protection for their success in “Candlelight Operations”. Nepal’s radio & TV networks have officially announced a five hours’ closure of “informing the public”. The dailies publish students’ complaint letters lamenting how their exam & career are affected by continual load-shedding.

Personally, i pity at Prachanda & Baburam’s helplessness and my all sympathies goes to our comrades at the shattering of their New Nepal dream, but still find myself increasingly cynic & snobbish of Nepalese behavior. The Maoists can not just shrug off from their share of responsibility to their bourgeois counterparts in accepting past mistakes. While the past Panchayat, Kangressi, & “hijda” UML governments were certainly corrupt to their bone-marrows, the Maoists should not forget that they were also running a parallel government for the past 15 years. During their People’s War, the Maoists claimed to control all Nepal’s territory except Kathmandu and not only obstructed new development projects but also destroyed the existing infrastructures – a revolutionary method of weakening the “feudal governments” by forcing people into the Dark Ages. The Maoists even used to warn people not to expect any construction projects, as they were uprooting the remnants of feudalism.

And what to say of these Deshmara Rastrasewak government staffers? Have you ever visited a Nepal Government office? I once told my father that I’m ready to forego all claims on land & property that involves dealing with government officials. As a child of a government employee I was born & raised in various government offices across the length & breadth of this country, and I myself have worked for a government corporation for some time. Go & have a look, while the commoners in the countryside are dying of cold-waves and the nation is under a sixteen hour load shedding, i’m sure you’ll find the heaters in all government offices always on. When it’s not cold, you’ll find that all the fans are always on. And, often you’ll find that all the electric gadgets are always on – a staff may be drying out his washed clothes under a fan, enjoying himself by the heater.

There’s a saying among the masses that Nepalis will eat even alkatra (coal-tar) – the saying comes from an everyday observation of how the construction & repair works are hastily begun & completed during and only in the monsoon rains so that they could write in papers that bridges and roads were swept away by monsoon floods. From project directors to fuel stealing drivers, from ministers to halkara peons, all government employees are drenched to their neck in the guhu (feces) of corruption. Where else do you think the fifty years of foreign grants in Nepal has gone? How can a kharidar (clerk) build an enormous building in Kathmandu? Do you think these armed groups in Terai are fools that they target government employees for extortion?

Hence, to all Nepalis including Prachanda & Girija, to male, masaley, & mandaley, I’d like to do a Khuchching, ees kha. As for me, I’m excited with the thought of what would happen when the country goes for a 24-hour load shedding. But that seems unlikely – for Prachanda, finally surrendering to his Delhi Bosses, has asked for an immediate power supply. Why so much fuss anyway? More than 80 per cent of Nepal population never faces any load-shedding – access to electricity is still a luxury among the 20 per cent bhuifutta & basi basi khane (sit, sit & eat) Nepalis.

CLICK FOR LATEST/ NEWEST LOAD SHEDDING SCHEDULE Load Shedding Schedule (23 Jan 2009) Magh 10 Gate

CLICK Here: Load Shedding Schedule (23 Jan 2009)

Or, you can find the latest schedule (when it changes again) on Nepal Electricity Authority Website. Here:

http://nea.org.np/

Prachanda Cancels Europe Tour: Learn From Raute – Nepalese Challenge Rulers

Prachanda(L) & Raute Nomads with President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav

By Divas

Nepal PM Prachanda has cited the power (electricity) crisis and unstable political situation in the country for the last minute cancellation of his 10-day tour to Norway & Finland that was supposed to begin from tomorrow. Prachanda, while inaugurating the Tharu Festival of Maghee in Western Terai, accused the Madhesi groups of creating anarchy in Terai at the behest of foreign powers. Prachanda was responding to the ongoing unrest in Terai in which a Terai-based journalist Uma Singh was also killed recently at her workstation town of Janakpur. Not only Prachanda’s Maoist Party but a large section of Nepalis severely criticize the Indian establishment for its recent interference in the Pashupatinath Priest case, and Delhi’s manipulation of Nepal’s Madhesi groups.

Whatever be Prachanda’s second thought over his Europe tour, most Nepalis would certainly welcome his decision for staying in the country in the wake of several national crises. People know from their experience that no Prime Minister including Prachanda would do any lacharpato (miracle) by visiting foreign countries. In fact, most people including this blogger are extremely jealous of any minister or a bureaucrat touring Europe & Americas while the commoners back home die of cold & hunger. Nepalis satirically call such high profile visits as a honeymoon tour made at the expense taxpayers’ money.

Recently, the only ethnic nomads of Nepal the Raute people from western forests visited Kathmandu for persuading the government to allow them living in the jungles. The Raute people do not like “civilization” including traveling by a vehicle – they complain that their former Chief died of a mysterious sickness that followed a bus travel. PM Prachanda after listening to Raute grievances wished to share some of his privileges of being at the helm of satta (power), so offered the Raute Chief for an air-travel back home. The Raute Chief replied: “While my Janata (people) are hungry back in the jungle, how can I enjoy the luxury of flying?” The Raute Chief instead bought some goats for his janata with the money given by the government for air travel.

Both Nepali media & its consumers hailed the loin-clothed Raute Chief for his opting of dangerous road travel for the sake of his people. Similarly, Nepali readers hailed the Iran President Ahmedinejad for his refusal to enjoy any benefit from state coffers. With the imposition of 16-hour load-shedding in the country, many Nepalis ask how would the President, VP, PM, and ministers realize the gravity of the situation until they enjoy full services through separate feeders?

 

PRACHANDA RESIGNS: Maoist Prachanda Gen Katawal & Nepal Army Controversy

General Katwal Adressing a Program by Maoist Insurgency Victims

By Divas

Nepal Army and Defense Ministry still seem to be at loggerheads over their status in the state hierarchy. As if making a national issue out of their personal grudges was not enough, Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal and NA Chief Rookmangud Katwal are now inviting their respective foreign bosses for intervention. Apparently, Badal and Katwal are at loggerheads over whether the NA should continue with fresh inductions to fulfill the vacant posts in the army. While Badal accuses the Army of trying to control a democratically elected government by refusing its directives, Katwal sounds defiance against the Maoists tactic of keeping the National Army under the Party’s control.

However, if you’d listened to Prachanda’s yelling, ‘Ko Ho Tyo Katwal, Ko Ho Tyo?’(How dare Katwal say that?), you know that the issue revolves more around the person Katwal than the organization of Army itself. Katwal finds the Maoists ungrateful toward the NA in general and Katwal in particular for the Army’s positive role in the peaceful promulgation of republican agenda. On the other hand, the Maoists find Katwal a major impediment against their application of ‘discontinuity from the tradition’ agenda in the Nepal Army.

Katwal is certainly making speeches and gestures that may be called politically motivated. He seems to be preparing a political space for himself after he gets a natural retirement from his present profession within a year. Katwal’s democratic principles of working under a civilian control contradicts his refusal to obey the Defense Ministry’s directive to stop fresh recruitments. The Maoist led government may have made a mistake by initially giving a go ahead nod for the recruitment, and later ordering for a Stop under the pressure from the Maoist Army. However, the NA high command should not forget that the UNMIN, which is the only valid referee at present and may be in future conflicts in Nepal, also opposes fresh inductions.

Hence, if Katwal makes his organization to go against civilian directives, then the UN should also reconsider its preference for Nepal Army personnel in UN’s peace keeping missions.

The Maoists too must stop pretending that they have won a war against the Nepal Army. Whether the Maoist high command or their cadres like it or not, the Nepal Army is the only legitimate army of this country. Not only the mighty Maoists, but even a few individuals can create a havoc of 9/11 proportions – but you can not establish a one party rule in the modern multicultural world. And given the kaleidoscopic heterogeneity resulting from the diverse ethnic and linguistic variation of the country, establishing a communist or any other one party rule in Nepal is impossible.

Since, not only the opposition Nepali Congress, but even coalition partners like UML and MJF support Gen. Katwal, the Maoists alone can not make any what Prachanda prefers calling “logical conclusion” out of present impasse.

Personally, after learning of Badal making secret requests to Chinese officials, and watching Katwal laughing with India Ambassador Sood inside India Embassy, several questions crop into my mind:

Who is that Katwal?

Who is that Badal?

Who is that Prachanda?

Who is that Girija?

Who is that Makune?

UPDATE: The Supreme Court (SC) of Nepal on Sunday Feb 22, 09 issued an interim order to the Defense Ministry and the Nepal Army to halt the process of inducting new personnel in the army.

In a response to the writ petition filed by INHURED International against the process of new recruitment drive unleashed by the NA, a single bench of the SC headed by Justice Anup Raj Sharma ordered immediate halt to the new induction till Feb 28.

UPDATE on March 5: While the two judges bang their heads over Nepal Army recruitment, the Maoist Army PLA also starts recruitment procedures. The United Nations’ Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) says the fresh recruitment drive of the Maoist affiliated People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is against the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

UPDATE on March 13:

The Supreme Court in its final verdict ordered both the NA and PLA not to conduct new recruitment. It however, upheld the recruitment of some 3000 personnel in NA, stating that the recruitment procedure, which completed before the writ against recruitment was registered, could not be invalidated.

Upadate on April 23, 2009

Prachanda supported a decision by the defence ministry two days ago to seek clarification from General Katawal over allegations that he ignored government orders on recruitment and the sacking of eight senior army generals.

Katawal provided an explanation within the 24-hour deadline given to him by the government. The controversy has split political parties, including those in government, and is threatening to derail the peace process.Nepal president Dr. Ram Baran Yadav formally wrote to Prime Minister Prachanda not to seek the army chief ’s resignation as it would create further trouble. Katawal is to retire in a few months.

Former Army officers and security experts in an interaction program  warned of unexpected catastrophe if Katwal were sacked. Security Expert Karna Bahadur Thapa Thapa said “It is the time to work for national interest rather than creating problems.”

UPDATE On April 24:

Contrary to Maoists’ claim of “civilian control” over the Army, the motive behind their plan of sacking General Katawal appears entirely of party interersts. The Maoist also seemed to be working on the plan of Deputy General of Nepal Army Kul Bahadur Khadka. Kadka had submitted a plan to the Maoists months in advance and they liked it. According to the plan, all 19,000 Maoist combatants would be integrated in the Army; PLA commander Nanda Kishor Pun “Pasang” would be made Major General and many others would get brigadier positions.

Click here to read a detailed scoop on how General Katwal had also planned for a “soft coup” and a Bangladesh-inspired President’s Rule backed by India Government.

UPDATE on April 30:

The Katawal Case took another dramatic turn yesterday. While the ruling Maoists, UML and the opposition NC have begun consultations to forge a consensus, Top three Nepal Army Generals on Wednesday refuted the media reports that there is a rift in the army top brass.

The Chief Rookmangud Katawal appeared with his deputies Lt. General Kul Bahadur Khadka who is second-in-line and Lt. General Chhatraman Gurung who is third-in-line and all of them collectively expressed their commitment to the democratic process and the Chain-of-Command in the Army affairs.

UPDATE on May 03: PM Prachanda’s side of the cabinet today sacked Rookmangad Katawal from the post of Chief of Army Staff and appointed second-in-command Kul Bahadur Khadka as the acting CoAS. However, the ministers from CPN (UML), CPN(Samykta) and Sadbhawana have boycotted the meeting after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal tabled a proposal to sack CoAS Katawal.  The decision would only come into effect after the President accepts the government decision, which is unlikely given the political developments that have taken place in the recent days. The most likely scenario would be that the Maoists would leave the government and opt for the opposition role as the UML and the NC have begun consultation on forming a new government.

UPDATE on May 4: Amidst the controversy over the constitutional rights of  the president, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, in the capacity of commander-in-chief of the Nepali Army has annulled PM Prachanda’s sacking of CoAS Kathuwal, and has written to the army headquarters instructing Katawal to stay in position. PM Prachanda and his party have termed the President’s interference as “unconstitutional”. Prachanda is to address the nation on the issue at 3 pm today.

PRACHANDA RESIGNS: UPDATE ON MAY 04,  16: 10 Nepal Time: Accusing the foreign forces for interfering in Nepal’s internal matters and making the President a parallel power center unconstitutionally, PM Prachanda resigned from his post in his address to the nation today.

Nose Based Leadership Change in Nepal: Replace all Brahmin Leaders

Nose Size Matters in Nepal Politics: They’re Bahun & That Corrupt is also Bahun

By Divas

If you’d go through Nepal’s popular dailies including those I scrutinize everyday – the Kantipur, The Himalayan Times & The Kathmandu Post, and make a racist evaluation of the contributors, you’ll find that more than 80 percent of the authors there belong to Brahmin caste. Not only the authors and editors, most of the letter to editor writers are also Bahun. Scan the profiles of all high level government officials, the same statistics holds true there too. Bahuns consider the field of academics and scholarship as their innate profession. The same is true in politics – even the tirades against Bahunbad (Brahmanism) in politics have now become clichés. Many point at the irony that Bahuns hold the key posts even in the Maoist party which led the movement against Bahunbad in Nepal.

The Bahun halimuhali (hegemony) in Nepali life is sickening. I’m increasingly getting intolerant of Bahun leadership in everything in Nepal. To tell you the truth, I hardly read any article written by Nakchuchche (pointed nose) Bahun or Chetri caste – except if it’s by a Bahun physician writing on some health related issue. I do not even watch television these days fearing I might have to see the Bahun or Chetri faces of political leaders. So much so that, I even judge a roadside restaurant by its owner – I don’t want to eat anything from an arrogant Bahun or Chetri with pathetic culinary sense.

Some concrete reasons behind my Bahunallergy (Bahun Allergy). The election fever is getting its hold on the students of Nepal’s largest public university, the Tribuvan University (TU). Lekhanath Neupane who is a Bahun and also the leader of Maoist affiliate student union issued a warning a few days ago that they’d break the backbones of anyone opposing them like they did before. Bahun Lekhnath was countered by another Bahun Pradip Poudel of Congress affiliated student union who said that they’d also break the bones of anyone attacking them.

Instead of showing some examples of good governance by controlling corruption in politics & bureaucracy, the Bahun Prime Minister of Nepal Prachanda, Bahun Finance Minister Baburam, and Bahun leaders of Maoist Party CP Gajurel, and Dinanath have been warning of revolt unless they’re not allowed to govern. On the other hand, the Bahun Kangessi opposition leaders of the like of Shushil Koirala and Govinda Raj have begun counting the days for the downfall of the government. And please, don’t even mention the Bahun names like Jhalanath Khanal and KP Oli. Power seems to corrupt the Bahun more than others. The chics & bellies of Bahun swell very fast once they begin enjoying state coffers.

My argument is that the Bahuns & Chetris should voluntarily hand over the leadership to the people of other castes & races – that’s what Gyanedra’s retirement from monarchy symbolizes. The air is simply not in favor of Nakchuchche in Nepal these days. Go abroad, do some business, become professionals but please don’t show your names and faces on televisions and newspapers.

And if you’re choosing your leaders, whether in the upcoming student election, or in the Nepali Congress & UML Conventions, or in the local bodies, don’t believe in their official policies, for no one makes bad policies, look at their nose, and vote for a non-Nakchuche, or a Madisey.

Incidentally, I myself happen to be a Nakchuche…but do read this crap anyway … Boorchodikey

What Nepalese Dream to Achieve in Ten Years By 2020

Kathmandu in 2020: No Load Shedding!

Nepalese too can dream of manufacturing airplanes

East West Nepal Railways: Taplejung to Darchula Underground Rail Service

Sea Port in Nepal: Mulghat Port at Dhankuta

Mechi Mahakali Terai Super Express Electric Train Service

Tourist Town of Pokhara in 2020: Annapurna Himalayas in Background

A 2020 Remake of Nepali Film Sindoor at a Kathmandu Cinema Hall

i received a pdf file in the mail and enjoyed reading it. Would Nepalese be able to develop their country this fast? Or is this mere another Maoist propaganda? Anyway, a really creative job I must say.

Click on the link below, download the pdf file, and read…then comment if you feel like it.

new-nepal-development-dream-2020.pdf

WARNING: All the Images are PROJECTIONS in Future Tense, they do not represent Present Tense REALITY.

Identity Politics in Nepal Terai: Madhesi, Pahadi & Tharu Conflicts

Finding Your Face in the Figures?

Why not Find Here?

By Divas

Nepal has been geographically divided into three regions: the Himalayas (Himal), the Hills (Pahad), and the plains of Terai(Madhes). Madhes based parties have been demanding for making the whole southern terrain bordering with India as a single Madhes state. Madhesi leaders define Madhesis as original inhabitants of Madhes that include all those who are not of Pahadi or Himali origin. This definition seems to be based on the general perception among Pahadis in identifying Madhesis as the people of the terai region or of recent India orgin. The hill people traditionally have been calling the people living on the plains as Madisey. But, there was no official definition or claim regarding who the Madhesis are or who are not Madhesis until recently. With the demand for a single autonomous Madhes State and ‘wholesale’ inclusion of Madhesis through reservation in all state organs surfaced the controversy on the definition of ‘Madhesi’.

The Tharu communities strongly protest against the Madhesi demand of ‘Whole Madhes, One Single State’. Tharus identify themselves as the original inhabitant of the plains, and differentiate themselves with the Madhesis. Tharus, who mostly have Mongolian features, see Madhesis as either recent arrivals from India or people sharing culture with the India side of the Indo-Nepal border. Some Tharu groups have even warned of armed struggle against the government’s recent listing of the Tharus in the Madhesi community. The government had recently issued a notice listing the castes & ethnicities who would qualify as Madhesi – to address the Madhesi concern against selection of two Pahadi candidates by the Public Service Commision(PSC) in Madhesi quota. While Government’s list addressed the Madhesi concern, it raised more concern among the Tharus for being labeled as Madhesis.

The issues of identity, representation in the state structures, and demarcation of federal lines among the states are more complex than they appear. The candidates selected by PSC who were withdrawn later were among the thousands of Terai inhabitants whose forefathers had migrated from the hills to the plains. Hence, ethnically and culturally, they are Pahadis, but geographically they are not Pahadis. Tharus and Rajbansis claim to be older inhabitants of the plains than the Madhesis or Pahadis. Moreover, there are Muslims, Christians, Limbuwans, & Khambuwans who have been increasingly asserting for separate federal states.

My Impression: Tharus are not Madhesis – if Madhesis need a separate state, Tharu demand for Tharuwan state sounds equally logical, and so on for other tribes, races, ethnicities, and cultures. Forget who came from where in Nepal – all are refugees here, and until a new discovery proves otherwise, all human animals descend from their African ancestors. But, again, you can not claim African land or identity.

BTW, have you any idea where were you and what was your identity just a year before you landed on this planet? Here’s a close up picture of what you looked like then:

Boorchodikey…

UPDATE on March 02 : Nepal’s ethnic bodies, including Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) and Tharu Welfare Council (TWC), have claimed that the government’s categorization of Tharus as Madhesis violated the ILO 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal People. “This is either a conspiracy of the Maoists to divide and rule the indigenous people or a tactics to appease the Madhesi leaders to prop up the falling government” President Pasang Sherpa and General Secretary Om Gurung of NEFIN said on Saturday.

UPDATE: Three persons, including one policeman, were killed in Chitwan as the general strike called by Tharus continued in the districts stalling the whole southern Nepal .

Student Elections in Nepal University: How Free Are Free Stduents’ Unions

Past Practices Breaking Hand Bones New Aim Breaking Backbones

By Divas

Nepal’s elected body of Free Students’ Union was established in 1979 after a nationwide students’ protests against the then royal regime called Panchayat System. I don’t know how the student bodies in other countries work, but from what i learn from the news i think Nepal’s as well as Bangladesh & Pakistan’s student unions function the same way. Well, my guess is based on the violence reports that come during the campus elections in Nepal, Bangladesh, & Pakistan. The Bahun student chiefs of Nepal have already warned their rivals of not only beating in the polls, but also of breaking each other’s backbones.

The phrase ‘Free Students Union’ itself is a misnomer, since although they call themselves the Students’ Union, all contesting groups in fact are student wings of the major political parties – hence they work more in the interest of their mother parties than for the academic needs of students. The two major political streams of students unions, the Nepal Stduents’ Union (NSU) affiliated to the Nepali Congress party and the various factions of left wings All Nepal National Free Stduents’ Union(ANNFSU) worked against the King’s Rule until a Multi-Party democracy was established in 1990. Since then the NSU & the United Marxist-Leninist (UML) affiliated ANNFSU have been contending against each other bitterly until the last election held in 2006.

If you’d ask me why the left wing student union ANNFSU dominated its rival NSU in all past elections, I’d ask you to compare the NSU and the ANNFSU Websites. When the NSU website unfolded before my eyes, the first thing l noticed was the jolly picture of their grandfather Girija Prasad Koirala. Suddenly I was happy that I did not vote for any NSU candidate in the last election. And if you’d compare the photo galleries of NSU and ANNFSU websites, you’ll suddenly realize why most students chose the ANNFSU in past elections. However, there’s a dilemma this time – there are new kids in the Campuses – the Maoist Party affiliated Revolutionary Union.

However, it seems that ethnic issues would be most influential in determining the outcome of this year’s student elections which is slated for 20th of March. The student bodies of an ethnic group Limbu in the eastern mountains, the Limbuwan Students’ Council (LSC) have vandalized the Panchthar Multiple Campus and forced to put off the election until next notice. The Limbu students demand for a proportional election system in their stronghold areas covering nine districts. Even if the elections are held in other campuses, I’m sure that the only basis for choosing the representatives this time would be the cultural & ethnic one. The Madhesi students in Terai would choose Madhesi candidates, Newars in Kathmandu would choose Newar candidates, and so on.

As for me, i hate breaking any bone, and i’d boycott the NSU, Brahmin & Chhetri, & the bone-breakers and choose among the rest.

UPDATE on March 19: I’m boycotting this year’s student election to protest the continued violence and even more politicization in the campuses. However, I’m aware that someone from the contesting student groups would vote for me – hey losers, if you suspect poll-rigging and are demanding for re-polling, check the voters’ list to make sure if a voter with my name has voted or not – if you find that I’ve cast my vote then be sure that your rivals were more clever this time. For, i’ll be absent in this year’s campus election.

Fire in Nepal Moutains: Human or Natural Disaster

Wildfire at Shivapuri?
Seems like it’d rain this evening…the sky is getting darker with clouds and occasional thunders…nothing is more welcome these days than the rains …The news reports say that Nepal’s jungles are seeing the largest wild fire in history. The Terai jungles see wildfires every year, but never before were there wildfires of this scale in the Himalayan regions. They say even the Shivapuri region is facing the wildfire. Why not, after all? While walking though the parched dry grasses & heaps of fallen dry leaves, the first thought that came to my mind was that a single spark can create a wildfire there. I saw several empty packets of PILOT cigarette. The villagers & low income people use the PILOT brand cigarette for its low cost, & I’d seen villagers gathering firewood in my both last visits. I also found a lighter at a grass opening chaur before reaching Baghdwar.

Environment: Whose Responsibility?
I feel like accusing the authorities at Shivapuri for its environmental degradation & wildfire. The army personnel, people at Nagi Gompa, and the Babas staying there may also be responsible. However, conserving a national forest near a heavy human settlement is easier said than done. And looking at the number of visitors and easy accessibility, the conservation efforts are certainly admirable.

Acrophobia at Shivapuri Height
I was really overwhelmed by the views seen from the Top toward the other side of Shivapuri. The Kathmandu side looks familiar from the Top, but the northern side appears & sounds really wild – except for a winding road seen far away. I climbed a huge cliff near the top, and when i looked at the views below it, a sort of dizziness swept over me…this was a place for testing one’s acrophobia…and I was really afraid to stand on the rock and look down…so i stepped back and crouched on my front…still, looking down from the rock sent shivers thru my body…I also realized that its more difficult to climb down a rock than climbing it up… so i crouched & crept down to the ground… I find it hard to keep a balance while standing when I know that there’s a possibility of falling down…is it an evolutionary instinct or my lack of experience in climbing mountains?

Dangers of Wild Mountains
Last night when I was wondering over the supposedly brief showers on Wednesday evening, i suddenly realized that it’d be dangerous to walk on wet & slippery trails…a village woman i met on my first hike warned me against walking alone or off the main trail, for encountering a wild bear or leopard… and a staff at the gompa said that besides wild animals, being attacked by miscreants was also possible…the notice also warns against walking alone…when a wild monkey threatened me, or when i was lost near the top, or when I was looking at the other side of the cliff, i was really frightened for my life…I was even thinking if I would return & write my next episode on the blog…

Baba
I’m thinking of sitting with the Babas for some time at Baghdwar in my hike tomorrow…last time, during my return a friendly looking Baba asked me to have some tea after I did namaste to him……later while reading other’s experience on the net, i learned that he was either one of the two famous Babas there – Kopche, or Todke Baba. I also found his picture posted on the net.
i was touched by Baba’s hospitality, but i was also getting late, so told him that i’d come often & would talk to them next time…

Social Needs in the Wilderness – Babas at Shivapuri Hill – Todke Baba

Baba: a human being
Humans are everywhere the same…even in the wilderness they behave according to their social training…even the solitary babas living inside tree holes (todka) feel pressed to behave socially…on the way upward from Baghdwar to the Shivapuri Top met a Baba inside a tree trunk…after i did him namaste he asked me in a typical hilly tone, ‘katabat aaunu bho koni, kata jan lagnu bho?’ (where you come from man, & where you going?) After my answer a social being spoke through the Baba, ‘have some tea first man?’ since it was getting darker due to the clouds, i told him that i’d meet him again after i return from the Top.

While walking down, I thought of chatting with the Baba a bit…asked him if he was the Todke Baba…’no, he live downhill these days, i’m living here for some six months…i was at Sundarijal before’…i told him that I really enjoyed the hill forest…’who wouldn’t enjoy Lord Shiva’s Durbar after all’ he commented, ‘we’re in bliss here….so much peace’ he was making some green leaves on a pan over firewood which he called wild veggies.. he again asked me to have some tea, but I felt like he was only being social…so said that I was getting late. He asked me to stay at his place…which was a big hole on a tree trunk…

Noise in the wilderness
At the downhill Kuti were three Babas with two other men around the Dhuni (Baba’s Bonfire) …it’d begun raining so I thought of getting over my shyness and chat with the Babas there…the Baba whom i recognized from a picture posted on the net as Kopche Baba was there…But when I asked him if he was the Kopche Baba… he answered with some uneasiness that Babas do not have any names…it’s the people who give them a name…& Kopche Baba was named so because of his old age & stooping figure…Another Mongolian looking man said that this was the Todke Baba…Todke Baba said that Kopche Baba had already passed away…the the Cemetery above and the cave below the cliff was Kopche Baba’s.

Todke Baba
Todke Baba began talking on the nature of the divine and malpractices in religions Another Bramhin looking man of about my age was more talkative…in fact I did not find anything holy in their talk…all they were talking about the malpractices…the two youths seemed to have come there for enjoying the Hashish smoke, which all of them began taking from the Chilim…Todke Baba was smoking from the Cigarette…After sometime Baba asked time with another fellow Baba…it was quarter to five…then he asked me if I’d stay there…I’d have certainly enjoyed staying there…but i’d to come back…sometimes family becomes more of a liability than need…moreover, I did not enjoy talking and making arguments even when you’re in the jungle…as it was still raining, Baba asked me to take his Umbrella or raincoat…but I did not want to take anything from Baba…

Todke Baba looked happy & friendly, but he did not seem to enjoy company…in fact I did not find anything special about him…but although i’d taken him for a person of Nepal Hills…he sounded like an Indian from his manner of speaking…

Hiking to Kakani and Socio-Political Musings in Kathmandu

Yesterday, since I didn’t feel like doing a strenuous hike at Shivapuri, I went to Kakani… …Once you reach to a certain height, you wish to go higher next time…just a few days ago, even getting to Panimuhan at the foothill of Shivapuri and looking toward Kathmandu was a great experience…then reaching Nagi Gompa and watching the panoramic spread of Kathmandu Valley was another great experience…then reaching the Shivapuri Height and watching on the other side from a huge rock was a magnificent achievement…My limitation is that I have to reach a destination and get back to my room the same day…

I was visiting Kakani for the first time…Got up and put a water bottle in the bag…this time I though of taking my bag to carry water as the days are getting hotter…and yes, i bought a binocular that cost about 500…i was simply fascinated with binoculars…lately I’d begun noticing birds and butterflies as well…so took the binoculars so that I could watch them closely…

Reached the Naya Bus Park and then Machapokhari Bus Stop where you can find buses for Trishuli…I’d been up to Osho Nagarjun Meditation Retreat before, but not beyond that….so i didn’t know where you get off for Kakani…i kept reading the signs for knowing about the place names…Tinpiple, Okharpauwa…then I got off at a comparatively larger market as I read a sign say Kakani…But later found that it was not Kakani, you have hike upward to get to Kakani…

After eating Sel Tarkari at a roadside Chiyapasal, I asked a boy there if it was Kakani…no he said….you’ve to walk half an hour up for Kakani…However, it seemed to the right place to get off from the bus to Trishuli…The boy said it was called Kauli…the thing I noticed in Kauli was children selling strawberries, and another local yellow colored berry found in higher moutains in Nepal…called locally aiselu…I don’t know what it’s English name… I remember picking aiselu when I was a kid…You can see strawberries grown around Kakani in Kathmandu as well, but I’d not seen aiselu being sold anywhere in Kathmandu…even in Kakani, there were not much Aiselu…a few kids were selling it on leaves…Strawberries were introduced by the Japanese and now farmers around Kathmandu cultivate it as a cash crop…But Aiselu is still a wild berry of Nepal…

Another thing that I noticed at the Chiyapasal and at other places were the flies, and the lack of hygiene… Even so near to Kathmandu and with all basic facilities, Kakani people were not different from village people of other parts of Nepal…The area seemed to be Tamang dominated…it was really interesting to see that just ten kilometers away from Kathmandu where the Newaris dominate, you could hear a different language and kids with slightly different features than Newars…However, the most common trait that I noticed among the Tamangs and the Newars or Jyapus of Bhaktapur where I’d visited last week was that both people had pathetically poor sense of hygiene….

While I was going up…sometimes on road…and sometimes off road…I suddenly arrived at a place from where appeared the Himalayas far away…it was about 10 in the morn…and the sky was getting misty…but I was happy to see the Himalayan peak…and took out the Binoculars to get closer views…but I found that Binos are only good for watching things just away from your vision…or smaller things within your vision…about 2 hours later, even those hazy views of Himalayan peaks were not visible…due to white clouds above them…

Three things that I enjoyed most in my Kakani Visit were:

I saw an eagle from the bus soaring below me while heading toward Kakani…

Walked down to the main road from Kakani top finding my own way in the mountain shortcut trails…I so hate walking on the roads

Traveling on the roof of the bus while returning…you don’t always get the opportunity of an open travel on the bus top…it was my first travel on the bus roof in five years…and views from the roof are truly awesome!

What I hated most on the Kakani Road:

Poultry Farming…you certainly do not enjoy the awful stench that come from Poultry Farms near the road…

Fish Farming by blocking natural Waterfalls…

While retuning from Kakani, I was happy that i was from Nepal who can walk into the mountains just by getting out of his room…I was also happy that I realized the pleasures in of walking in the mountains before it was too late…before I was too old to walk…

Kakani is no different form any other place in the mountains…except that it is easily accessible, with all basic needs for travelers and picnickers, and yet isolated from Kathmandu’s hustle and bustle…

I’ve Been to the Mountain Top & I’ve Seen the Promised Land !

It has been a long time that I’ vent updated this blog. I’m doing it today coz I reached the mountain top again yesterday…after so many days. I’ve been wandering in the Shivapuri Jungle for more than six months now…and, I often think that I’ve also become sort of specialist on Shivapuri Hiking!

The trail I took this time goes in the opposite direction from Nagi Gomba. It’s shorter to the Shivapuri Height than via the Nagi Gomba. The trail goes up and up, until you reach a point from where two trails appear: one going downward to Sikre Village, and another going upward to the Heights.

It seems that I’m getting used to the Shivapuri jungles. I was not afraid at all even on the top as I was in my last visit. This route was shorter and a real hiking. You go only up and up until you reach the top.

Since, I was there in the summer last time, the top was also more grassy this time. The top is not like a sharp ridge as it seems from far below. Its like a small playground where there are many Hindu and Buddhist symbols, such as Trishul the Trident, chorten, prayer flags, etc. In fact, the Kathmandu side is not that clearly visible from the top, but the northern side is visible with four or five mountain ranges.

My favorite place again was that huge rock just below the top. It’s a really a very huge rock tilting on its side, as if it’d begin rolling. This reminds me of Sisyphus’s rock. A few small rock steps take you to the rock top. There are Buddhist prayer and symbols on the top. It’s the same rock where I’d got Acrophobia. I had it again…coz it feels like the rock would begin rolling under your weight. And if you slipped, you’d fall far below into the abyss. No way!

I sat on the rock leaning backward to assure my sense of security. I tried to enjoy the shapes the clouds were making. I also remembered Martin Luther King’s saying, “I’ve been to the mountain top and I’ve seen the Promised Land.” Mind you, the seas of clouds flow below you with a great swirl. Suddenly, its all dark, and suddenly the five mountain ranges are visible. Even if it was heaven, one can’t avoid feeling eerie in the heaven.

I was there on the top at about 4. Didn’t feel like going to the Baba’s Way. It would take time while greeting the Baba, and I also didn’t feel like talking heavy things even in the jungle. Even spirituality is not a talking matter, what i was feeling was already spiritual. Talking would only disrupt my trance!

‘Happy New Year’

 

 HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all my well-wishers, i hereby, with all modesty, would like to ask:

> Not to call in any social, ritual, religious, or other gatherings; should i offend their kind feelings by being absent due to my own limitations!

>Kindly remember me during any emergency, and respond as well when i am in need; if only possible.

i hope all would take the above mentioned propositions with a positive attitude considering my eccentricity.

May All Beings be Happy!

‘One does not write for slaves…’

 Contd from ‘Marriage is a private affair’

 

Monday, June 12, 2006

The girl’s mother, brother, and middle sister came yesterday. How quickly they finished everything. Just Now the mother was telling another woman that everyone praised it, noone said it was not good. The women said,” How can one say anything? One can not say either good or bad.”

That day I was tempted to advise them not to hurry on the matters of the daughter’s marriage. But my experience with my cousin’s marriage perhaps had made me wiser not to comment anything in other’s matters.

More importantly, in case of arranged marriage sorted out by the parents only – isn’t there a greater risk of dissatisfaction later? No girl is trained nowadays to revere her man like the god; the feminist approach of teaching and learning has instilled a different value on man-woman relationship. The guardians feel so much pressure for their grown-up girls that they find it better to make the decision as soon as possible.

It’s strange that everyone is worried about their false-prestige, while in fact, none has any prestige at all. I can understand these things, as I myself was caught in such foolish cycle once. What’s the solution then? Finding a suitable mate should the resposibilty of the individual, just like finding a suitable career.

If in case, the boy or the girl has made his/her career, and wants to settle down and still hasn’t found a mate, then others, including the parents, may come to help. The girls, too, should take active role in the decision of their marriage, rather than later cursing their guardians later when they are not satisfied.

One day, in our class, a teacher was discussing on a feminist writer, Simon de Beauvre. Nowadays, I commented, males are more interested in women’s liberation than the females themselves, at least while giving sermons. The females only wail, that they are not treated equally.

He said that, though scientifically it has been proved that females can do everything the males can do, still men are oppressing the women in the society. He asked why the most philosophers, writers, and scientists of the past are only males. Why don’t men give equal opportunity to the women?I discussed with the teacher fiercely. My point was it’s the women themselves, who are responsible for their suffering, especially the educated ones. I asked him why men should give their power to others. If the women are really capable, they should fight for their cause and snatch the power from the men.

He said to me, “your values are very orthodox, you’ll learn later when you finish the course.” We friends laughed at this remark he made, we, some senior students have classified some teachers as bhai(kid) sirs! Unless the oppressed people themselves, whether black, ethnic, or the women, instead of cursing the oppressor, fight for their rights and be ready to suffer for the price of dignity, there can be no true liberation.

In this regard I agree with the Maoists that sometimes one has to take up a weapon to assert one’s rights. Of course, the Maoists, made a grave ideological mistake by taking up arms for retaliation and personal vengeance. And we can use anything as a weapon for our self-defence, not only the arms.

Jean Paul Sarte, the great existentialist philosopher and writer in his essay “Why Write?”, holds the view: “ One does not write for slaves…it is not enough to defend them with the pen. A day comes when the pen is forced to stop, and the writer must then take up arms.”

5 Responses to “‘One does not write for slaves…’”
Boink Blogs, on November 3rd, 2007 at 1:52 pm Said: Edit […] is a private affair’ Part II DIVAS put an intriguing blog post on â??Marriage is a private affairâ?? Part IIHere’s a […]

www.learnhypnosiseasily.info » ‘Marriage is a private affair’ Part II, on November 4th, 2007 at 3:02 am Said:
[…] DIVAS placed an interesting blog post on â??Marriage is a private affairâ?? Part II.Here’s a brief overview:No girl is trained nowadays to revere her man like the god; the feminist approach of teaching and learning has instilled a different value on man-woman relationship. The guardians feel so much pressure for their grown-up girls that they … […]

Vanadiaum, on November 4th, 2007 at 9:27 am Said:
An interesting blog as always.

There are only two blogs I read regularily, yours and http://www.thethoughtsalesman.com

Yours usually seems to be more cerebral, but the thought salesman is usually more about practivle issues, I think it’d be worth it to check him out

‘i never give them a hell. i give them truth & they think it’s hell’

Contd from ‘One does not write for slaves’

Saturday, June 17, 2006 
The girl, now married, came with her man yesterday. Though I donot talk to people that much, I was looking for some cue to know whether she’s happy or not.

My god, she looks completely normal. How easily she accepted everything, and made things easier for all in her family! This morn she and her man went to Daksinakali on her bro’s bike.

May be that she had two married elder sisters who frequently visit this place and her experienced parents have made things easier for her.

But still…I’d been to my one relative yesterday. I came to know that my cousin was pregnant. I talked to her, she too looks normal. Of course, her hubby seems to be a suitable match for her. But what about her being a mother, who isn’t that healthy herself? I doubt that she’ll give birth to a healthy baby.

I was tempted to put my views, but I restrained myself thinking that now that she was in an irreversible process, any negative comments would only hurt her.

I’ve come to agree with the view that either the economically higher or the lower class of the society can make free decisions about themselves. The middle class people, and the newly rich ones, who are the people I’m related to – I’ve started disliking their lifestyle and passivity.

Earlier I used to think that it was my shyness that was preventing me to socialize with them, but, nowadays I’ve come to the conclusion it’s the disagreement with their painfully ritualistic lifestyles and their impotency to rebel or live life in their own terms that puts me at odds with them.

I do not claim to have enjoyed my life better than others. Yet I feel proud to realize that I do not belong to the herd. Of course, I have encountered more difficulties and earned more criticism than the so-called ‘social’ people, to the extent that I was on the verge of collapsing once.

Still, I’ve recovered, and I feel that I’ve come out a winner! A very positive attitude is developing – goodwill and pity for others, and a stubborn conviction on living life in own terms. No Compromise, whatever…!

“For whom does one write?”

“For whom does one write?”

Some two years back, we friends had an opportunity to attend a literary seminar. The second day of the seminar was in its full swing when we got there. As the students of literature, we were really excited for being able to see in person and listen to the great scholars and writers of our time – who were also our role-models.

On that particular day, two papers were presented, the latter of which was focused on the atrocities suffered by the marginalized elements in the society – in the name of religion, ethnicity, caste, etc.

After the papers were presented, the audiences were invited to put their questions on the papers that would be clarified by the presenters. Suddenly, one of our friends stoop up, walked awkwardly toward the dais and began his question huskily.

He pointed out the irony of garlanding the photos of kings , queens, politicians, & ministers in a literary seminar like that, symbolizing the dilemma of Nepali intelligentsia in sheer contrast to the topics being discussed. We, the friends, were dumbfounded – he was mature, yet a student – not supposed to make a criticism on the affairs of erudite scholars.

At that time Nepal was under the direct military rule of the King.

Interestingly, but not surprizingly, the same people nowadays have tunrned die hard republicans!

In spite of the fact that our friend could have presented himself in a better way, his message was loud and clear. He was immediately retorted by one professor-looking scholar that it was a political question, not literary, therefore could not be taken up. Another said such questions could also be dealt with – but only informally.

May be due the nervousness of appearing foolish, or the fear of being seen as an extremist; our friend withdrew his question and walked out of the seminar.

But questions once raised cannot be withdrawn. They hover in the air, linger in the mind.

BP Koirala, himself a politician, in one of his interviews, had mentioned that after being elected as the first prime minister, he asked the Harvard and Cambridge-educated economists in the Planning Commission to put the picture of a farmer along with the King’s on their wall; and look at the picture of that poor farmer while making any development planning for the country.

Wasn’t the question raised by our friend similar one, except that he was not a great figure in the contemporary history, but simply an awkward looking Mr Nobody?

Jean-Paul Sartre in his essay”Why Write?” contends, “The art of prose is bound up with the only regime in which prose has meaning, democracy…Writing is a certain way of wanting freedom. Once you have begun, you are committed. Committed to what? … or is it concrete everyday freedom which must be protected by our taking sides in political and social struggles?” Sartre concludes his essay with a question, “For whom does one write?”

Perhaps our novice friend, too, being a student of literature merely wished to learn from his well-versed teachers and predecessors, “For whom does one attend the literary seminars?”

i care for my baby,…black or white…

‘Hey Uncle, congrats!’

My friend was unashamedly ‘congratulating’ me.

It was his fourth baby.

The elder ones belong to the ‘fairer’ gender.

 

And i’ve many friends & relatives like him.

Hence, although i didn’t ask him, i was pretty sure that this must be the ‘unfair’ one…a boy.

I know about my friends perhaps more than a friend should know.

For example, I know that my this friend had aborted at one of the cases.

I mean abortion in its exact sense, no metaphors.

I know his wife very well. She’s a descent, sensitive, & also educated( besides other adjs).

I wanted to tease him why he was ‘congratulating’ me for a result for which i’d made no contribution at all.

Their girls are healthy, lovely, & playful.

They easily became freinds with me the very first day i met them…a rare thing indeed. Kids are generally afraid of my ‘villainous’ looks.

Whenever their kids won’t ‘behave’, my relatives threaten with, ‘Do this/that, or i’ll tell Buzi(Monster) Uncle, Mama, Thuloba,..whatever’

And even the devil himself won’t like being addressed like that by the kids.

So, i was naturally very happy when these girls started playing with me.

I told him,’Look after these kids carefully, so that they don’t have to suffer like us.’

Once, when i asked him why were they waiting for a boy, he said, ‘You don’t know, she wants it.’

Everyone knows that the social conditioning wants it.

There are many reports from India that millions of female fetuses are ‘killed’ after identifying them with the ultrasound.

There are no such studies here in Nepal, but anyone can guess with certainty.

Of course, they care for their kids like all parents do.

Yet i know it very well that things would never be the same with/for the girls.

No matter how much their parents would love them, they’d never miss to observe that things no longer remain the same as they used to be.

But, hey feminists & activists, it’d be equally fallacious to conclude that the boy would enjoy being an ‘apple of the eyes’.

Anyway, i’m going to congratulate them all in the boy’s Nwaran(the naming ceremony) tomorrow.

One Response to “i care for my baby,…black or white…”
illnaturedgr, on December 26th, 2007 at 9:27 pm Said:
I think that it’s a total tragedy for all humanity to still have gender issues 5 days before the year 2008…
It’s a reality though and we must face it… Don’t think that only India or Nepal have gender issues,it’s China (which has the biggest problem due to overpopularity),Thailand and lots of other countries (not all of them of the so called “third world”) to cut it short…

“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”

“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”

I was waiting for my turn.

The interview was for the post of Assistant Web Editor.

One of the anxious looking applicant began making introduction with everyone.

There was a gentleman reading a fortnightly.

I couldn’t resist myself, when I heard his name.

“Aren’t you the writer of ‘ABC’( name of the book withheld).”

“How could you remember my book written thirty years back?”

I quoted some of the lines from his book that I’d read some 15 years ago.

His eyes spread with happiness & surprise at once.

“O my goodness, you still remember after alll those years. Nobody remembers nowdays!”

“Your book ‘ABC’ is one of my favorites in Nepali literature,” I disclosed.

Of late I had been thinking that I was getting too old for job interviews.

And here was a writer of the calibre I envied appearing with me in a job interview.

Is it right to smack children?

 

A complete ban on smacking has been rejected by British ministers, after a review suggested most parents opposed it.Laws on smacking in England and Wales were tightened in 2004 to stop parents and carers who assaulted children using “reasonable punishment” as a defence.

But children’s minister Kevin Brennan said laws would not be changed further, as new rules appeared to be working.(BBC)

DIVAS says:

My pa, now in his sixties and living with us two sons, still can’t understand why we ran away from home simply because he was ‘rough’ in his view for our well-being.

We as teenagers were so much fed up with our parents’ ‘wise’ scoldings that we were ready to anything to leave their house.

Although, in our 30s now, we have understood how their own background was affecting their behavior, and that parenting is really most difficut job, we still think much of sufferings would have been avoided with just a few nice words.

How should we teach children to read?

 

Should schools concentrate on testing, or on fostering a love of reading?

Reading standards have barely improved since the 1950s despite billions of pounds spent on trying to raise English levels in primary schools, according to a review.

Pupils feel increasingly stressed about school tests and are losing their love for books, researchers for the Primary Review project found.

But schools ministers dispute the findings, which form part of the largest review of primary education for forty years and say primary standards were at their highest levels. (BBC)

DIVAS opines:

Home is the place where schooling begins. Kids love to imitate their first role-models: their parents.

A sense of humor can only make the kids engaged in their studies.

Most of all, respecting each child as an individual creates the necessary trust in teacher which is most essential if to get attention from students.

Besides, stuffing students’ mind with never-ending-homeworks and the ‘High Expectation’ from a very early age only make them worried all the time; sometimes leading to anxiety and depression.

Kids, especially, learn better when nature itself teaches its lessons. They should be allowed to take their adventures.

Teaching, like all things beautiful things in life, is more an art than only theories and information.

And, as the saying goes, what persuades people of all age to do impossible is, again, LOVE.

One Response to “How should we teach children to read?”

Michael B. Dycus, Ph.D, on November 10th, 2007 at 11:12 pm Said:
I agree with you whole-heartedly on your take on this subject.
In my opinion, you are 100% correct!
Thanks for this highly insightful post!

Are we over-protecting children?

 

A  new report out today claims that over-protecting children stops them developing the skills and resilience they need to protect themselves. Do you agree? The report “No Fear” explores a number of key areas including children’s play, anti-social behaviour, adult vetting and fear of strangers, identifying the ways in which our preoccupation with eliminating risk is restricting children’s freedoms and corroding their relationships with adults.

“Although there is a widely held view that children grow up faster today, in fact their lives are far more controlled than they were 30 years ago,” says former government adviser and author of the report, Tim Gill.

DIVAS says:

People, while trying to make their offsprings perfect, are messing with nature’s mechanism of growth.

Children should be allowed to tread an unknown path; if parents really care for their kids grow out of fear.

They should be allowed to do things own their own; even if they may hurt themselves while doing so – that’s the only way how an organism learns in nature.

And there are no 100% safe practises even if one wished for.

One Response to “Are we over-protecting children?”

cyberpunk, on November 18th, 2007 at 3:29 pm Said:

I agree with this. I think parents are overprotecting kids nowadays.

We grew up with less “protection” from things and other people, but we did ok (fine, I’m not a good example, but you get my drift)…

Kids need to learn and think for themselves.

Message on Buddha’s Enlightenment Day

do whatever makes you happy…whatever…whatever makes you happy is good, right, and holy…your happiness is the only measuring rod…your happiness is the only truth…everything else is false..

– Divas the Great

Promulgate the New Nepal Constitution by May 28(Jetha 14)

By Divas

A desperate old man Devi Prasad Regmi slapped Jhala Nath Khanal a few months ago for not delivering the constitution on time as they had promised. However, people say that Devi’s slap turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Jhallunath. For, a few days after getting the smack on his chick, Jhallu got what he’d been yearning for years. Jhallu becomes the prime minister of Nepal. And look, how popular Jhallu has become worldwide, as this news heading says: Slapped politician, Jhalanath Khanal, is new Nepal PM. hahaha..

People say that Nepal’s politicians are not only one of the most corrupt but also the most nirlajja or shameless ones. As one former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai famously said, the mantra for Nepali politicians is what they say it in Sanskrit: ek lajjam parityajya sarbatra bijayi bhawet, or just shed off all your shames and you will conquer the world. Suddenly, the politicians in Nepal have turned bold. hey’re taking a calculated risk: leaving behind their luxury vehicles and security guards, you’d see them walking alone on the road fearlessly, so that someone would suddenly crop up from a corner and smack on their cheeks. Boorchokey..

So, the next fortunate one turns out to be the Maoist politicians, Comrade Jhakku Prasad Subedi. Jhakku the Revolutionary was walking on the road fearlessly still musing over how great he was to beat former boka Prime Minister Madhav Nepal in the Constituent Assembly election. Suddenly, a tea-seller Devkota invites Comrade Jhakku for a cup of free tea. However, that foolish Devkota turns out to be a very sly reactionary. Otherwise, how dare he ask questions to Comrade Jhakku the Revolutionary by luring him for a cup of free tea?

Devkota was not among the learned intellectuals from Kathmandu who have also shed all their lajja or shame and would not mind licking the boots of the corrupt politicians. Devkota hails from a village in the Western Nepal, the Maoist stronghold of Gorkha. So, intead of asking any dialectic, political or philosophical question, he asked Comrade Jhakku what to do when the plough gets stuck on a pebble and the bull refuse to pull it. Although a communist turned noveau riches residing in Kathmandu, Mr. Jhakku also hails from a village in Western Nepal. Hence, prompt came his answer: ‘Then you pull the bull’s tail and twist it which would make him move further.’ But lo…instead of marveling at Comrade Jhakku’s proletarian wit, that fool bourgeois Devkota suddenly got enraged. ‘If you pulled the bull’s tail and twist it, he’ll get very angry, and will give you a back kick like this’ retorted Devkota and slapped Jhakku on his both cheeks.

And look, instead of retaliating, Comrade Jhakku kept smiling his sweet smile. For, he knew that he is even more fortunate than Jhallu. Jhallu got a slap on his one chick that made him the prime minster. Similarly, the madhesi people of terai chased their leader Upendra Yadav for not delivering the constitution on time. And lo, Upendra also becomes the Vice Premier. Now, guess what Jhakku, who’s got smacked on his both cheeks is expecting….. Jhakku must be secretly expecting no less that the post of the President of New Nepal itself.

There’re still two more weeks when the present Constituent Assembly expires. But, Jhallu the Prime Minister has filed for the extension of the CA by one more year and the Maoists support him. And the season of strikes and Nepal Bandha has also begun. And people are increasingly enjoying unemployment and the double digit inflation. So, everyone is secretly expecting that more and more politicians would be fortunate enough to get slapped by the commoners.

However, this blogger does not wish it secretly anymore. He wishes it openly, and even calls on the foolish people of Nepal to beat up the politicians wherever they are found. Not only the politician, beat up everyone who holds a public post. Let this be clear, if you fail to deliver the new constitution within two weeks, you deserve to be ruthlessly beaten up like they beat the pickpockets.

Promulgate the constitution before Jestha 14 deadline, no matter how rudimentary or defective it may be. No constitution in the world is drafted perfectly. You have to make accommodations later as the situation demands. Therefore, promulgate the constitution within the stipulated time frame, I don’t care for the details. If the present Constituent Assembly fails to promulgate the new constitution in time as promised, let anyone or any group whether they’re the Maoists, the Royalists, the Army, or the President Rambaran promulgate it. I would support anyone or any group who promulgates the New Nepal Constitution irrespective of their political ideologies. No more Bandha. No more Chutiyagiri. No more limbo and no more mumbo jumbo. I want the new constitution within Jestha 14, 2068 B.S. and that’s May 28, 2011 AD.

And that’s my final verdict. Period.

Why do People Suffer?

Change is the only universal thing in nature. People resist the universal law of nature. As if they can resist it. And they suffer because of their own resistance & rigidness. And they complain. Otherwise, life is so simple and straightforward.

– Divas the Great

Cruising Mountain Bike in Kathmandu Streets: Fulfilling Childhood Dream

By Divas

Of late, I’ve gotten wakka (fed up) with writing & preaching on political matters, hence i’d like to share a bit of my personal life with the readers.

The news is that i’ve been riding a bicycle for the past two months. And i’ve gathered quite a bit of experience as a mountain biker.

The day i bought my mountain bike or MB, many people declared that it was another proof of my craziness. Although it was not the first time they were saying that to me. It’s simply unacceptable in bourgeois Kathmandu society for a respectable middle-aged man to ride a bicycle while commuting to & from his workplace.

But, as is my habit, which would not die anytime soon, i’d to break this fucking bourgeois status concept of the Kathmanduites. Besides, i’d to also fulfill the great responsibility of saving the humankind from the impeding climatic disaster. So, i did it again by riding a MB instead of a motorbike.

And i’m really happy to regularly ride a bicycle after so many years. In fact, riding a MB was one of my childhood dreams. When i’d just finished my school, MBs were still a rare possession even among the professional bikers. My one friend’s relative had brought an MB from Japan. And i used to wish that my dad would also buy me a similar MB.

But, as my dad was a civil servant and also a very very kanjoos or miser, he told me bluntly that he could not afford to buy me an MB. Instead, one not-so-fine day, he brought an Indian bike Atlas. Thus was how my dream of riding a MB shattered. And i promised myself then & there that one day i’d buy myself an MB with my own hard-earned bucks and cruise it on the main road.

What amused me the most was that from my dad to relatives, and from friends to colleagues, all were literally shocked to see me riding a bicycle. In fact, when i proudly posted the picture of my new MB on the Facebook Wall, only one of my several bosom friends clicked ‘Like’ on it. And he, too, went agape when he saw me riding a bicycle while commuting to & from my workplace.

And no one has congratulated me yet for riding a bicycle… not even the incumbent Environment & Climate Minister.  Boo…. !

To be continued

Riding Bicycle in Kathmandu to Change the World: An Inflated Ego

By Divas

i earnestly believe that i’m changing the world for good by riding a bicycle. Well, you may call it my megalomania or narcissism, but i earnestly believe that i can change the world for good. What i want to show to the people of Kathmandu is that you can ride a bicycle and still be a respectable citizen of the country… these days, i even don’t care if someone calls me a psycho..in fact, beggars and psychos fascinate me more that the ‘normal’ people.  whenever i see a beggar or a crazy person, i watch them carefully, and the more i watch them the more I find that they’re also like me…I could have been them, and they could have been me…and in fact, they’re me and I’m them…

i pity those whom the world calls successful, rich, and powerful…for i can see what they’re missing and what they’re going through to be what they’re…i even feel pity for those people whom I’ve criticized and ridiculed on this blog..for i can see what they’re going through written on their faces…I know that no one wants to be bad or hurt others..everyone wants to be good and liked by others… i don’t even judge those who’re convicted as criminals…for i can see that they’re just the scapegoats of the society they’re living in…

hence, of late, i’ve been thinking that perhaps there’re some milder ways to change the world…and one of them is riding a bicycle…and another thing i love to do is to share my experiences with the students…since I’m free for a couple of hours in the morning, I’ve been thinking of volunteering that time for teaching students… I’ve been a teacher for most of my life, therefore i know that it’s the teachers who can change the world for good with the least coercion..

Why I’m Reluctant to be a Professor

By Divas

As i said in the previous blog that teaching is the best profession to change the world for good…& i keep on saying this to all…& i consider myself just a teacher in all my roles… still, i left teaching career in search of my own academic, philosophic, social & spiritual pursuits.. and my friends and teachers in the academic field persuade me to join the academic world again.. people say that I’m wasting my talent & energy in other fields which do not have any career prospects… I myself feel very much passionate about teaching… and yet, I’m reluctant to work as a full time teacher..

Our one professor used to say that teachers are the most harried people on earth…therefore have mercy on them…when you talk to him, you will discover that he’s as frustrated as anybody in this country…once, i asked him if he was  happy with being a professor..he looked at me intently…and said, ‘if I got so-and-so amount, I’d happily leave this bloody professorship’… then he repeated his mantra: teachers are the most harried people on earth…

..and still, he’s one of most privileged professors of this country…who hardly takes more than ten classes in an academic year..just imagine how others in the teaching profession are going through…of course, there are many benefits of a teaching career: social status, career prospects, intellectual exercise…and so on…still, it’s rare to find a happy teacher in this country..and if you are a school teacher, especially if a school teacher in Nepal’s private institutions, you deserve my utmost sympathy…may your soul rest in peace…

Still, I’d the opportunity to know a professor who really seemed to enjoy what he was doing…and i really admired his passion and I still sometimes wish to be like him… and i consider him to be a model teacher of this country…Whenever anyone used to express their frustrations, he used to say, ‘only those who cannot do it, complain like that’..

But, one day, he too left teaching in the government college…when i asked him why he left the opportunity of teaching the disadvantaged lots, he said that he was busy in other pursuits..well, i know that a teacher like him cannot remain idle in any of his roles..if not in this country, they will go to some other country.. still, his departure from a government college has a symbolic meaning…teachers in this country are not getting their due respect..

and if you do not respect good teachers, then don’t complain if they leave you one day…remember, good teachers are not here to please you, they are here to enlighten you… to show you the way… when you do not respect the geniuses and if you feel inferior when someone does his/her  job really well, then you should not complain being exploited the mediocre..

Why I Support the Private Sector in Nepal?

Nepal Airlines: A Government Corporation that needs to be immediately Privatized 

By Divas

Yes, I support the private sector in Nepal. And I support the private sector not because I adhere to any ideology…I do not adhere to any ideology…for me, all ideologies, theories, and belief systems are just tools to simplify and understand the world…and since the world is changing ever faster than any time in history, all rigid ideologists and their followers, what we call in Nepali Jadasutrabadis, are destined to fail to deliver…I support the private sector simply because it supports me…it’s because of the private sector that i can survive in this world..

When people ask me why are you so eccentric, i ask them back who isn’t eccentric? Everyone’s as eccentric as any of their fellow….it’s just that people see the lice on others’ bodies but fail to notice the buffalo crawling on their own bodies.. and yes, private sector always welcomes me… ..that’s because private sector ignores your eccentricities and focuses on your value…of course, most of Nepal’s private sector are yet to be institutionalized…people still need to understand that even in the private sector, it’s the slow and steady who wins the race… and it’s also true that there’re more uncertainties and insecurities for those working in the private sector… That’s because the private sector itself is facing a lot insecurities and uncertainties due to uncertain political climate.. but they are trying to deliver…and over the years, I’ve seen that nepal’s private sector has managed to prove itself…

Therefore, in Nepal’s case, i fully support the view that government should give all businesses to the private sector… privatize all government ventures..the government can not simply run any profitable business in nepal…government owned corporations and businesses in Nepal are destined to drown because of their unsustainable, unprofessional, and corrupt practices..I’m not saying that government should close it’s eyes to all the anomalies in the private sector…the government’s role as the ultimate regulator cannot be ignored at the present day Nepal… however, government’s role should be limited to monitoring and regulation..

There’s Nothing Moral About Sex

Madhav Nepal Enjoying with Spice Girl:

By Divas

Someone has to speak the truth, and if I will not, then who will?  People often ask me how can I be so sure of myself…the reason I can be so sure of myself is because i’ve always believed that every age has its own set of problems and therefore its own set of solutions…the basic philosophy behind my assumption is that everything in this world is always in a flux…

And one of the most problematic issues of our times is that of sex… Aldous Huxley said about a century ago that sex is the biggest nothing of our time…and I will say that it’s still a biggest nothing of our time…looks like humans would never be able to keep a healthy attitude toward sex…and after hunger, sex is the most basic issue behind human suffering… in this post, I’m illuminating certain basic things related to sex, which everyone knows but very few dare to speak..even the intellectuals speak on these things only within their close circles…but my aim is to release people from their unnecessary suffering by bringing the taboo issues into the public sphere..

Everyone  is Sexual:

Everyone without exception is sexual. You know it, I know it. Most of the visitors to this blog come looking for sexual gratification. The Top Post of All Time on this blog is Sex in Kathmandu City, and I’d to block comments on that post coz most of the comments there are solicitations for sex. And you know what sorts of search words bring people to this blog? Here are some of today’s search words for your amusement: i want sex tonight in kathmandu, call girl in kathmandu with mobile number, naked girls and fuck, how can i find nepali prostitute in Kathmandu, is prostitution legal in Nepal, nepali women in fucking business, girl want to be fucked, kathmandu boy sex, women seeking men Nepal…

What does this show? This shows that people are sick with sex. Our films, TVs, news items, advertisements, and internet virtually bombard every human being with contents that arouse your sexual instincts. That’s making people sick. Moreover, unlike in the past, the average  marriageable age for both sexes is around 30+ at present…This shows that if you use today’s technology and if you extend your marriageable age beyond puberty, you cannot stick to the  conventional morality on sex which assumes that you will get married once  you reach puberty.

Sexual Atrraction:  

Therefore, there is no need to feel guilty for being sexual. Being sexual means that you’re healthy. And it applies to both male and female, without any prejudice. Sexual attraction can happen between any two people, even among the relatives.  Freud is right there. Therefore no need to feel guilty about being sexual.

Sexual Relations:

Since everyone is sexual, there nothing moral about sex. What kind of relationship are two people in is nobody’s business.

Sex and Sexual Violence:

Sexual violence is like any other violence, there is no need to make any taboo of sexual violence. Those who commit violence on others  suffer themselves. But, you don’t lose your prestige if you’ve suffered  sexual violence.  What amuses me that even feminists demand compensation arguing on behalf of ‘prestige’. As long as you’re going to associate your prestige with sex, you are bound to suffer.

Therefore, there’s nothing called prestige related to sex. Btw, who’s that fucking thing called ‘prestige’ anyway? As Parijaat wrote in her Sirisko Phool, who’s prestige? no body has any prestige… it’s just that people pretend with each other…

Sex and Society:

However, if you’re not careful, society will  put you in many difficulties in life.  Because, society is always there to blackmail you with sex. But, remember, sex surely has practical difficulties but if you fear the society, then you’ll always remain paranoid about sex. Let me tell you one truth that I discovered, I’ve found that sex workers are happier than the so-called ‘good girls and women’ because sex workers aren’t paranoid about their false ‘prestige’. And one of the reason why my mother suffered was because she was a ‘good woman’. So, if necessary, be ‘bad’ and be happy. Because, your happiness is your greatest responsibility. You can do any good in this world only if you’re happy.

Moral of the Story:

So, am I encouraging promiscuity? No, I’m not encouraging promiscuity. As far as possible, keep your sexual experience to a minimum…and you don’t even have to have sexual intercourse for sexual gratification. Masturbation, hugging, kissing, etc would be enough to satisfy your sexual urges. Because, promiscuity has its own set of problems. Besides the possibility of getting sexual diseases, there’re social, interpersonal, and spiritual problems related to promiscuity. Moreover, if you indulge too much in sex, it might interfere with your career and business. Sex is just an energy, just divert the energy through exercise, play, and other creative pursuits.

In any case, there’s nothing to feel guilty or paranoid on any aspect of sex coz there’s nothing moral about sex. Whoever preaches morality on sex, know him/her to be either a hypocrite or paranoid.

PS: Btw, let me tell you one thing from my experience, it’s not even necessary to have  sex to live a fulfilling life: love is enough!

hahaha…I Startled a Madman…

By Divas

i meet a madman while coming back from work every evening

he howls with a loud voice

you must have seen him, he often walks on the road carrying a large stick

And he purposefully yells at the passer-by…

i don’t understand why people fear their crazy fellows

Coz i’ve found that crazy people are the most benign ones..

As Emily also says much madness is the divinest sense..

And much sense the starkest madness..

i think, he enjoys startling people lost in their own mundane thought

he’s also startled me many times

but yesterday, when i passed by him, he was calm, didn’t notice me

Then I thought to startle him, and howled like him

He really got startled, stared me with a puzzled look..

And i was happy that I startled a madman..

If There’s Truth in What I’m Saying, It’ll Survive

Divas

People often ask me what is your philosophy? My philosophy is to lead the consciousness of my times. I know that my existence is very ephemeral, but if there’s truth in what I’m saying, it’ll survive.

‘Sometimes I Repeat Myself Over & Over Again Until someone Listens to Me’

Divas’s Photography: sunset over the mountains

I discovered some more old posts of mine. After going through them, I feel like I’ve already said everything about life that I’d to say. Anything I’m saying is mere a repetition.

Single Divas in Kanyakumari

Divas arrived at the farthest corner of the sub-continent & enjoyed watching the setting sun in the Arabian Sea. However, he couldn’t enjoy the sunrise at the Bay of Bengal. No hotel or lodge allowed  him a stay citing his ‘single’ status – not even the lonely monk Vivekananda’s Kendra. Looks like Kanyakumarians are really fearful of losing their virginity..

विदेशी सहायता आवश्यक छ ?

By Divas

नेपालमा राणाकालको समाप्तिपछि औपचारिक विदेशी सहायता आउन थालेकोमा सन् ६० को मध्यसम्म आइपुग्दा सम्पुर्ण विकास गतिविधि पुर्ण रूपले विदेशी सहायतामा निर्भर रहेको पाइन्छ । शुरूमा अनुदानको रूपमा आउने गरेको विदेशी सहायता सन् ६० को दशकदेखि विस्तारै अनुदानभन्दा पनि ऋणको रूपमा आउन थाले । पहिलो पञ्चवर्षीय योजना(१९५६–६१) सम्पूर्ण रूपले विदेशी सहायताबाट सञ्चालित थियो भने दशौं पञ्चवर्षीय योजना(२००२–०७) को ६० दशमलव ७ प्रतिशत विदेशी सहायताबाट सञ्चालित थियो । वर्तमान २०६८/६९ बजेटले पनि रु. ७० अर्ब १३ करोडको वैदेशिक अनुदान र रु. २९ अर्ब ६५ करोडको वैदेशिक ऋण अपेक्षा गरेबाट नेपालको वैदेशिक सहायतामाथिको निर्भरता छर्लङ्ग हुन्छ ।

वैदेशिक सहायताले खासगरी निश्चित कार्ययोजना बनाएर सञ्चालन गरिएका सडकजस्ता पुर्वाधार क्षेत्रमा केही महत्वपुर्ण विकास भएका पनि छन् । तर, चर्चा र वाचाको तुलनामा निकै कम मात्र सहायता लक्षित समूहसम्म पुग्ने गरेको तथ्य प्रति पनि मनन गर्नु आवश्यक छ । किनभने, आधा शताब्दीसम्मको वैदेशिक सहायता पछि अझै पनि ग्रामीण भेगका अधिकांश बालबालिका उचित शिक्षाको अवसरबाट बञ्चित छन् । त्यसैगरी, प्रत्येक वर्ष कुपोषण, न्युनपोषण, झाडापखाला जस्ता सामान्य रोग तथा प्रसूति, मातृशिशु स्वास्थ्य जस्ता आधारभूत स्वास्थ्य सेवा अभावले सयौं व्यक्ति, महिला र बालबालिकाको मृत्यु भइरहेकै छ ।

उदारहणको लागि, नेपाल दक्षिण एशियाकै सबैभन्दा गरीब देश हुनुको साथै २०१० को विश्वव्यापी भोक सूचि अर्थात् ग्लोबल हङ्गर इण्डेक्समा सबैभन्दा खराबमध्ये एक अर्थात् २९ औं स्थानमा आउँछ, जुन खडेरी र युद्धग्रस्त अफ्रिकी मुलुक तान्जानीया र केन्याको हाराहारी हो । जबकि, सहायताको रूपमा भित्रिएको वैदेशिक ऋण मात्रै २००९ सम्ममा ४ अर्ब ५० करोड डलर पुगिसकेको अनुमान छ । त्यसैले वैदेशिक सहायताको नीयत, पारदर्शिता, र प्रभावकारितामाथि जनस्तरबाटै प्रश्नचिन्ह उठनुलाई स्वभाविक नै मान्नुपर्छ ।

विश्व सन्दर्भमा हेर्ने हो भने पनि दाताहरूको दावी विपरित भ्रष्ट र उत्तरदायित्व विहीन मानिएका सरकारहरूले नै ठुलो मात्रामा विशुद्ध रणनीति प्रेरित वैदेशिक सहायता पाएका छन् । नेपाल हालको अस्थिर, सङ्कटपुर्ण र नीतिगत भ्रष्टाचारले आक्रान्त अवस्थामा पुग्नुका पछडि रणनीतिक स्वार्थ केन्द्रित वैदेशिक सहायताको पनि ठुलो भुमिका रहेको भन्नेहरुपनी धेरै छन ।  । वास्तवमा, नेपालको वैदेशिक सहायता उद्योगले देशको ऋण भार, धान्न नसकिने महत्वाकांक्षा, परनिर्भरता र सामाजिक असमानतालाई मलजल गरिरहेको छर्लङ्ग देखिन्छ ।

सारांशमा, संसार र खासगरी तीव्र आर्थिक वृद्धि गरिरहेका छिमेकी देशहरूको समृद्धि चुहिएर घिसारिएरै भए पनि नेपालमा केही विकास भइनैरहनेछ, तर त्यस्तो विकासलाई वैदेशिक सहायताले थेगेको भन्ने भ्रमबाट निष्कनुमै कल्याण हुनेछ । सरकार, दलहरू, विशेषज्ञ तथा नागरिक संस्थाहरूले वैदेशिक सहायताबाट उत्पन्न वौद्धिक आत्मसमर्पण, नीतिगत भ्रष्टाचार, सामाजिक असमानता र मगन्ते संस्कृतिको दुष्चक्रलाई तोडने आँट गर्नैपर्छ । देशभित्र र बाहिरका उद्यमशीलता, पुँजी, लगानी र स्रोतलाई निर्बाध रूपले चलायमान हुनसक्ने वातावरण वनाएर वैदेशिक सहायता केन्द्रित भन्दा पनि नीजी क्षेत्रको अग्रसरतामा व्यापार, व्यवसाय, कृषि र उद्यम केन्द्रित आर्थिक नीति अवलम्बन गरिनुपर्छ ।

Published in Abhiyan Daily with some modifications & Tables

O radiant Dark! O darkly fostered ray!

This is what the moon looked like from a jungle nearby Kathmandu one evening!

What Happens When a Kathmandu Dog Learns the Tricks of Human Civilization

I used to wonder why I just can’t seem to get myself out of bed in the winter mornings…but recently i discovered that i’m not alone…guys, look what happens when a dog comes in contact with humans…since he’s basking in the sun on a cold winter day, he gets so lazy that he doesn’t fee like getting up even to eat his meal…even dog behavior changes when they adapt to human civilization…

Next time when you meet a street dog in Kathmandu, don’t look down upon him…coz he doesn’t give a damn who you are and what you’re up to… moreover, street dogs of Kathmandu possess a great sense of humor…if you don’t  believe me, just look at the picture below. Can you guess what the dog is trying to show you?… :D

Btw, if you think that street dogs don’t get fair treatment in Kathmandu, you may not be always right. Just tell me who’s the boss in the picture below – the man who sleeps on the floor or the dog who enjoys the warmth of the quilt?

When a Man goes Unconscious in Kathmandu Street

Often life puts you in a great moral/ethical dilemma…what to do when you find someone who appears to be more miserable than you?

मनले बाधिनुपर्छ

राजनैतिक र कानुनी रुपमा पंचायती संविधान र कानूनमै दण्डनीय मानिएका लैंगिक, जातीय, धार्मिक भेदभाव सांस्कृतिक रुपमा कायमै रहेकोले नै पचास बर्ष अघि नेपाल समान आर्थिक तथा शैक्षिक अवस्था रहेको दक्षिण पूर्वी एसियाली मुलुकहरु अहिले एशियन टाइगर बनिसक्दा पनि दाताहरुको आर्थिक र राजनीतिक सहयोग र मध्यस्थता विना देश चल्नै नसक्ने अवस्थामा पुगेको हो ।

इजरायलजस्तो स्थापनाकालदेखिनै द्वंद्धग्रस्त मुलुकले त मरुभूमिमा लहलहाउदो कृषि उत्पादन गरेर औद्योगिक निर्यात गर्न सक्छ, नेपालीहरुलाई आफ्नो देशमा काम गर्न बोलाउन सक्छ भने प्रचुर प्राकृतिक र मानवीय स्रोत रहेको नेपालका नागरीकले अरुको देशमा जोखिमपूर्ण काम गर्न मरिहत्ते गरेर शारीरिक र मानसिक पीडा भोगिराख्नु पर्ने अवस्था नै छैन ।

नेपालजस्तो सांस्कृतिक, भौगोलिक, तथा धार्मिक विविधतायुक्त जनसंख्या भएको देशका नागरीकले एक अर्काका विशिष्टताको सम्मान गर्दै सकारात्मक पक्षको उपयोग गरेर मात्र आधुनिक र सभ्य विश्वनागरिकको रुपमा गर्व गर्न सक्नेछौ।

देशको भूपरिवेष्ठित अवस्था भन्दा पनि मनपरिवेष्ठित संस्कारलाई चिर्ने खालका लेखहरुलाई लेखक तथा पत्रपत्रिकाहरुले प्रोत्साहित गरेमा निश्चय पनि समाजमा सकारात्मक संदेश जानेछ ।

Kantipur,2005

a little girl asked me this morning

a little girl asked me this morning: uncle, all your hair has gone white…why don’t you make it black?

Thus I Started Wearing Dhaka Topi Again

Guys, i’ve started wearing Nepali Dhaka Topi again…well there was a political/philosophical reason when i’d stopped wearing Dhaka Topi about ten years ago…but the reason behind my wearing it again is not even cosmetic as some suspect…i’m not wearing a Dhaka Topi to hide my balding head…  nor have i any intetion of becoming a minister…(btw, those who know me well also know it well that my only interest is to become the elected President of Nepal)..

The reason behind my wearing a Dhaka Topi again is purely environmental one…i found that Dhaka Topis are the best to partially cover your head when the weather gets a little chilly and yet it’s not  that chilly to wear a woolen hat…and, beleive me, Dhaka Topis are more comfortable and less imposing on your head than the western style hats(which certainly have their own purpose) that i used to wear of late…moreover, you get more social mileage when you wear a Dhaka topi in Kathmandu…

i’ve learned this survival strategy from my dad: when you’re in Terai/Madhes – wear a Dhoti and Gamchha,  when you’re in the mountains of  Pahad – wear a Dhaka topi and Daura Suruwal; and when you’re in India – discard both…wear only shirts and pants, and don’t tuck the shirt inside the pant, keep the shirttails hanging over the  pants(as if you’re hiding a pistol)…& boy, it really works!

Btw, does anyone know why a traditional Nepali hat is called ‘Dhaka’ Topi(Dhaka being the capital of Bangladesh)?

चीन र भारतबीचको पुल नेपाल बन्न सक्ला ?

 

By Divas

एक्काइसौं शताब्दीमा चीन र भारत विश्वले उपेक्षा गर्नै नसक्ने एशियाली शक्तिका रूपमा उदाएका छन् । चीन र भारत हाल विश्वकै तीव्र वृद्धि गरिरहेका आर्थिक र सामरिक शक्ति हुन् । त्यसैगरी, चीन र भारतको जनसङ्ख्या विश्वकै एक तिहाइ हुन आउँछ ।

विश्व अर्थतन्त्रमा चीन र भारतको बढ्दो भूमिका:

चीनले सन् २०१० मा विश्वकै दोस्रो ठूलो अर्थतन्त्रका रूपमा आफूलाई उभ्याउँदै जापानलाई विस्थापन गरिसकेको छ । त्यसैगरी सन् २०३० सम्ममा विश्वकै ठूलो अर्थतन्त्रका रूपमा चीनले अमेरिकालाई समेत उछित्रे विश्व बैङ्कको हालैको ‘चाइना–२०३०’ प्रतिवेदनले भनेको छ । भारत भने गार्हस्थ्य उत्पादनको आधारमा हाल विश्वको नवां ठूलो अर्थतन्त्रका रूपमा रहेको छ । तर, पर्चेजिङ पावर प्यारिटी (पीपीपी)को आधारमा भारत अहिले नै विश्वको तेस्रो ठूलो अर्थतन्त्र हो । त्यसैगरी कुल गार्हस्थ्य उत्पादनकै आधारमा पनि भारत २०३० सम्ममा विश्वको तेस्रो ठूलो अर्थतन्त्र बत्रे सम्भावना छ ।

चीन–भारत प्रतिस्पर्धा :

दक्षिण एशियादेखि अफ्रिकासम्म चीन र भारतबीचको प्रतिस्पर्धा छरछिमेकदेखि अफ्रिकाको तेल खानीसम्म महसूस गरिएको छ । त्यसैले, बीसौं शताब्दीमा भौगोलिक युद्ध लडिसकेका चीन र भारतबीच एक्काइसौं शताब्दीमा व्यापार–युद्धु पनि हुन सक्ने सम्भावना देखिएको छ ।

तर, व्यापारिक युगमा प्रवेश गरिसकेपछि चीन र भारतले आफूहरूबीचका कतिपय मनोमालिन्यलाई भने हटाउनुपर्नेछ । कतिपय अवस्थामा चीन र भारतको आर्थिक शक्ति एकअर्कासँग प्रतिस्पर्धात्मकभन्दा पनि एकअर्काका परिपूरक देखिएका छन् । केही समयअघि भारतस्थित चिनियाँ दूतावासका आर्थिक तथा व्यापारिक सल्लाहकार पेङ गाङले भारतीय उद्यमीहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै चीनलाई ‘विश्वकै कारखाना’ र भारतलाई ‘विश्वकै कार्यालय’ भनेका थिए । त्यसैगरी, भारतका विदेशमन्त्री एस एम कृष्णाले हालै सिङ्गापुरमा चीन अहिले नै भारतको सबैभन्दा ठूलो व्यापारिक साझेदार रहेकाले दुई देशबीचको अझ बलियो आर्थिक सम्बन्धले विश्वका दुई अर्बभन्दा बढी मानिस प्रत्यक्ष लाभान्वित हुने भनेको पनि स्मरणीय छ ।

तुलनात्मक आर्थिक सबलता एवम् चुनौती:

मुख्य गरेर म्यानुफ्याक्चरिङ र पूर्वाधारको क्षेत्रमा चीन बलियो देखिएको छ भने सेवाक्षेत्रमा भारत । तर, निर्यातमाथिको अत्यधिक निर्भरता र जनसङ्ख्यामा पाकाहरूको बढ्दो अनुपातले भविष्यमा चिनियाँ अर्थतन्त्रमा समस्या आउन सक्ने देखिन्छ । उता, बहुल समाजका कारण फस्टाएको उद्यमशीलताका साथै नवप्रवर्तन तथा तुलनात्मक रूपले युवा जनसङ्ख्या भारतको सबल पक्ष मानिन्छ । तर, आर्थिक वृद्धिको फाइदा निश्चित समूह मुख्य गरेर शहरी क्षेत्रमा मात्र सीमित रहनु र ग्रामीण क्षेत्रको ठूलो जनसङ्ख्या आर्थिक समृद्धिबाट अलग्गिनु दुवै देशको चुनौतीका रूपमा देखिएको छ ।

नेपालः तरुल कि पुल ?

नेपालका वर्तमान प्रधानमन्त्री डा.बाबुराम भट्टराईले प्रचण्ड सरकारमा उनी अर्थमन्त्री रहेका बेला आफ्नो नेतृत्वमा नेपालको अर्थतन्त्रले भ्यागुतो जस्तो छलाङ मार्ने बताएका थिए । त्यसैगरी भट्टराई आफै प्रधानमन्त्री भएपछि उनले चीन र भारतबीच व्यापारिक पुल भएर नेपालले आर्थिक विकास गर्न सक्ने आशावादी टिप्पणी गरेका थिए । बढ्दो आर्थिक र सामरिक प्रतिस्पर्धाका कारण दुवै छिमेकी शक्तिको चासो पनि नेपालप्रति बढ्दै गएको छ ।

वास्तवमा आशावादी भएर हेर्ने हो भने नेपाललाई चीन र भारतबीचको व्यापार क्षेत्रका रूपमा विकास गर्न सकिने सम्भावनामा कुनै आशङ्का छैन । तर, दुई महाशक्तिबीच रहेको नेपालले अन्य मुद्दामा अल्झिनुको सट्टा आर्थिक मुद्दालाई आगामी संविधानको आधार संरचना बनाउन सकेको खण्डमा मात्रै देशले भ्यागुताको जस्तो उफ्रने आर्थिक विकास प्राप्त गर्न सक्ने व्यवसायी तथा विशेषज्ञहरूको ठम्याइ छ ।

Published on March 14

If You Need a Volunteer Teacher/Lecturer in Kathmandu

If you are in need of a volunteer teacher/Lecturer in Kathmandu, please let me know. I’m free for an hour in the morning.  Please note that since I’m making enough money from other sources, I’d be interested only in a volunteer teaching position.

Mail at:  abc@columnist.com

Thank you.

Divas

A Tale of Two Bold Girls: Rekha Sah & Rekha Thapa

Rekha Fixes Divas’s Mountain Bike

Did you listen to Rekha Sah’s interview on BBC Nepali Service by Brij Kumar Yadav some days ago? Well, in a sharp contrast to the sexy bombshell Rekha Thapa of our Kollywood who is more popular as a ‘Dekha Thapa’ for her ‘wanna see?’ gestures, this Rekha Sah is a single woman struggling to establish herself as a workshop enterpreuner – in an otherwise excessively ‘patriarchal’ Madhesi society of Nepal.  I’d like to congratulate Brij for bringing out such a refreshing  interview of a real life ‘heroine’.

In the picture above, you see another ‘Rekha Sah’ who’s fixing my mountain bike. Well, she only works as a help for her mechanic hubby, but  i’m sure someday she’d also establish herself as an independent mechanic in her own right. Btw, don’t get me wrong. I also admire the ‘Rekha’ in the picture below – not only for her bold scenes, but also for her rebel spirit. In a recent interview, our Rekha says that only she’d decide when to get pregnant & nobody else. Wow!

 

Oh Chabi, You’re really a lucky man dude!

the whole world is my family

a beautiful girl asked me today: you don’t seem to meet anyone. don’t you have a home, family or friends?

i replied to her: buddhas do not need to go to anyone’s house…the whole world is their family.

The Old Man & the River of Life

Today I met my one teacher on the road after almost 20 years.

He used to be a robust man, but that was when Yeats’s “Ere Time transfigured me.”

His frail features reminded me of my dad.

People say that I’ve a very strange relationship with my dad.

If you’d read Dhanush Chandra Gautam’s ‘Ghamka Pailaharu‘, you’ll have some idea on what I’m saying.

In fact, I’ve rivalled with my dad from a very early age.

He’d a  short temper, which I also inherited from him.

And  he’s a huge influence on me: both positive and negative.

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My dad’s and my ways are very different…and yet we’re so similar.

I know that he wants me to be happy.

And I also want him to be happy.

Last time when dad saw me, he looked at me from top to bottom.

And his otherwise anxious face suddenly beamed up.

And he laughed in his typical ‘ear to ear’ wide grin.

And uttered just one sentence: ‘Hel Gaya…sooner or later, everyone learns to swim.’

‘Hel Gaya’ in Hindi means ‘to swim in deep waters’.

My dad was referring to a childhood incident.

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While in Terai/Madhes, my dad loved to go to a pond or river for swimming.

And I used to follow him. I also wanted to swim like him.

My dad is a good swimmer…he knows how to ‘helnu’ in troubled waters…

In fact, he loved to ‘show off’ his skills.

Once, to our horror, he even entered into the flooding Koshi River.

My mom and her two kids were so anxious.

Thankfully, he came back….as I said he’s a good swimmer, both in the water and in life.

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When my dad would be in deep waters, I’d mimic his swimming skills in shallow waters.

Once, my dad carried me on his shoulder, and took a little deeper.

He caught me on my back, and I just flapped my hands and feet…

But, my dad would never let go of me from his hold…so I’d just flap flap and no more.

Seeing us father and son’s play, a Sadhu who was also bathing nearby us told my dad:

” Arey Chhod do usko. Apane aap Hel Jayega. Don’t hold him. Let go of him. Leave him in the water by himself. Let him drown a little, drink some water, and the yearning for life would automatically make him learn how to swim. That’s the only way how one learns to swim.”

But as I said, my dad was also a coward in some ways…perhaps, all fathers are. So, he told the Sadhu: how can I let go of my son in deep waters…what if he couldn’t swim…what if he drowns?

And the Sadhu gave a really hearty laugh, and said: if you won’t let go of your son, he’ll never learn how to swim.

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Later, dad would recall that incident again and again.

Especially, when he would find me a ‘misfit’ in the society.

He’d say: perhaps, I didn’t let you go of me; therefore you’re not learning how to swim in life.

So, despite the grave differences between us in other matters, I was naturally happy when last time dad gave a big grin and said: Hel Gaya.