Kathmandu l 17-23 Spet, 2007 l # 34 l Price Rs. 25

Indian foreign secretary, Shiv Shankar Menon with PM Koirala on Sunday.

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ä nf correspondent

An intense tug of war among the top echelons inthe Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) and Prime Minister GP Koirala’s refusal togift them a republic Nepal ‘now’ has brought thegovernment’s neck to a political guillotine.

Maoists inched very close to withdrawing fromKoirala led government ending their five and ahalf month partnership in theeight-party coalition. The last hopethat the Maoists would reconsidertheir extreme move was dashed;after Prachanda and Baburamexplained Koirala’s acts of deceits,and pressure from their owncadres to quit the government,when India’s foreign secretaryShiv Shankar Menon met them onSaturday evening. Maoists however, relented tohis advice and indefinitely postponed their roundtable conference rescheduled on Septemberhours before Menon left for Delhi at the end of histwo-day trip to Nepal.

There are growing worries within the coalitionthat the pull-out by the Maoists would have anall round impact on issues like political stability ofthe country, leadership of Koirala and thecredibility of the Maoists themselves. Politicalobservers also believe that this would not onlyseriously discredit Prachanda-Baburam line in

the party in favour of eight-party unity, but wouldalso bring Ram Bahadur Thapa aka Badal,backed by Mohan Vaidya and C P Gajurel, in theforefront of the Maoist leadership.

Home minister K P Sitaula’s shuttled betweenthe residence of the prime minister andPrachanda to save the coalition, with anassurance that a republic Nepal was just acouple of months away, and that collapse of the

coalition would weaken thatprospect, apparently failed toconvince the Maoists. “We havehad enough of assurance and wedo not trust the Congress anymore,” Prachanda is believed tohave told Sitaula. The homeminister also assured that hewould undertake to ensure thatthe Congress party’s republic

agenda is endorsed by the general assembly ofthe party.

Prachanda and Baburam last met Koirala athis official residence on Saturday to inform himthat they were determined to withdraw from thegovernment in protest against his refusal toabolish monarchy immediately. They told Koiralathat they were not scared of their future politicalprospects. The Prime Minister, according toBaluwatar sources, warned them that theywould be losing their last chance if they ranaway from electoral politics. ä

Exit?PM refuses to dole out ‘republic gift’ to Maoists

Maoists toldKoirala thatthey were notscared of theirfuture politicalprospects.

2 17-23 Sept., 2007 News

An indefinite curfew wasclamped in Butwal andTaulihawa after, unidentifiedassailants shot dead MohitKhan, a leader of anti-Maoistgroups, and a violent protestagainst snow-balled into acommunal frenzy.

According to incompleteinformation, at three morepeople including a policemanwere killed, as miscreantstargeted a place of prayer.Locals gathered immediatelyafter the news, of Khan beinggunned down outside hisresidence in the morning,spread. They demanded thatthe culprits must be arrestedand punished. Khan had been

ä nf correspondent

Election to the constituent assemblyon November 22 in an environment‘free of fear and intimidation’ is thecrucial, if not the sole, pre-conditionfor India’s future support to Nepal.That was the firm message thatforeign secretary Shiv ShankarMenon conveyed to prime minister GP Koirala and other senior govern-ment and political leaders includingMaoist Chief Prachanda during histwo-day visit to Kathmandu.

During his meeting with Koirala onSunday, he gave enough indicationsthat India would consider any crucialdecision in absence of people’smandate as seriously flawed. Themessage assumes significance in thewake of Maoists’ demand thatdeclaring Nepal a republic immedi-ately is the pre-condition for theircontinuing in the government andcontesting election.

Menon was much more guardedwhen asked, during a press meetbefore his departure to Delhi,whether India considered it necessaryto have polls first to abolish the

Butwal under curfewtargeted twice by the Maoistsin the past. “We have no clueyet as to who killed him,” saida police official.

In the chaos that followed,government offices, vehiclesand shops became immediatetargets paralysing normal life.In the meantime, an official ofShital Niwas said that thesituation along the two bordertowns were being monitoredclosely and the governmentwould take it up with thegovernment of India for tightsecurity on their side so thatanti-social elements fromacross the border could nottake advantage of the situa-tion.

Nov. election ‘must’Menon says CA alone

will give legitimacyfor major decisions

monarchy. “It is for the people ofNepal to decide,” leaving it open tointerpretation that India prefersdecision on the issue not by leadersof eight parties but by the people.

He said India would support andassist the transition to a democratic,inclusive, stable and prosperousNepal. He also refused to commenton PM Koirala’s recent remarks thatNepal faced a threat to its sover-eignty. “I am not going to comment onthis. This is not my place. This is notmy function,” he said, adding, “if youhave any questions, you ask them.”

Koirala’s demands from Menonvaried from exploring Man MohanSingh’s visit before the election to

smooth supply of petrol. Menon isbelieved to have given positiveresponse to the demand forpetroleum.

Menon described Terai problem asNepal’s internal one which Nepalshould be addressing, but admittedthat he met some leaders from there.He also disclosed that India’s waterresources secretary would be visitingNepal to explore bilaterally thestrategy for flood control on all therivers that, “we share.”

On the UN role, he said thatUNMIN is here with a very clearmandate to help arms managementand election and added, “we hopethey do the two jobs well.”

Indian foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon

Violating world heritage siteThe government is in a soup over unauthorisedconstruction of a road in Pashupatinath temple area, aworld heritage site. The World Heritage center (WHC)which oversees cultural heritage and their protectionactivities on behalf of UNESCO, has sought the statusof about 800-metre long and 20-feet road that passesthrough Sleshmantak forest linking Tilganga Hospitalwith Guheshwari temple.

But the government is in total confusion about howto respond to the situation. “The construction of theroad is illegal,” a senior official at the ministry of cultureand tourism told newsfront, admitting that it violatesNepal’s commitment to protect the world heritage site.“The road was built without any authorisation orpermission from the government,” sources said.

However, the road was built with full support andendorsement of the minister for physical works andconstruction, Hishila Yami. The initiative to build theroad was taken by Krishna KC, a Maoist leader, who isnow vice president of the Bagmati Sewer Improve-

ment Committee. The committee overruled the earlierobjections raised by the Department of Archaeologyand the Pashupati Development authority on the pleathat no construction can be carried out in the area.

As a signatory to the convention for protection of theworld cultural and natural heritage almost threedecades ago, Nepal is obliged to honour the guidelinesregarding any construction works in the listed heritagesite. Following the query from UNESCO, the ministerfor tourism and culture is understood to have askedthe chief secretary to formulate government responseat the earliest.

Official sources said that the minister also askedsenior officials to explain to him the cost of suchviolation. “We will soon be responding to the UNESCOas well as the world heritage center reaffirming ourcommitment to protect the listed sites,” a seniorgovernment official said. A Maoist source said that theconstruction was carried in view of the local people’sdemand and needs without affecting the heritage site.

ä nf correspondent

The 64th birthday ceremony ofHis Holiness Sakya TrizinRinpoche, the head of Sakya Sectwas celebrated under theauspices presence of: DhungseAsanga Rinpoche; GharSyabdrung Rinpoche; Guru AamaNiru Rana of Byoma KusumaBuddha Dharma Sangha, KhenpoNawang Jorden; KhenpoVagendrasila; Khenpo NawangHoser Lama, president ofMonastery DevelopmentCommittee; and Chiniya Lama; atMustang Samag’s Monasterylocated at Sitapaila, Swoyambhu.

The ceremony was organisedby the monastic & lay disciples ofthe three Sakya monasteries:Tharlam, Thari and IBA inBoudha. The program com-menced by taking refuge on thetriple gems and chantingBodhisattva vows to liberate all thesentient being from the

sufferings of samara. It wasfollowed by 16-Arhat Puja. 16-Arhats were entrusted with the

responsibility to protect the

Dharma by Buddha himself in hisabsence. These patrons ofDharma were invoked and offereda Puja, so that Dharma mayprevail for a longer time in its purity.

Then the Mandala (a represen-tation of the entire world systemalong with ones most preciouspossessions) was offered to GuruSakya Trizin, by the disciples, as asymbol of complete trust andsurrendering. This was followedby offering the ShakyamuniBuddha’s Dharani,

mantra for the long life of theguru; seven-limb prayersconsisting of refuge, confessionand so forth and a special long lifeprayer dedicated to the longevityof His Holiness.

In addition, various Tibetanchants and songs were per-formed and an archery competi-tion was held to represent theculture of Mustang. Finally, as aninevitable part of a Buddhistceremony, the merit accumulatedby all of those engaged in such avirtuous deed was dedicated forthe benefit and happiness of allsentient beings.

May all beingsbe happy

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317-23 Sept., 2007News

Poorest leaderMatrika Yadav is arguably the ‘poorest’ of

all central level Maoist leaders. But going bywhat happened last week, Matrika does notfit into that category any more.

Vivek, one of the security guards ofYadav defected to the rival militant sectionof Terai along with a AK-47 rifle. Thecentral level leaders of the Maoists have atleast five private security guards, each witharms. And if each of the security guards isin possession of Rs. 5 lakhs; it gives a rough idea about how rich Matrikamust be.

Matrika was quick to return official property and facilities immediatelyafter he resigned from the cabinet last month, but he is still the chairmanof the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).

Conspirator who?G P Koirala is a great believer in

conspiracy theory. And he brings them outwhen he is either out of power or when hischair is ‘shaky’.

Not long ago when he was out of power,he said there was a grand design againstnational sovereignty and democracy inNepal with India and the palace as itsarchitect. But with changed politics thatbrought him at the helms of state affairs, hewas quiet about conspiracy theory tillrecently.

But last week, he came back to his pet topic, saying, “there areserious threats to Nepal’s sovereignty and I have told Indian, Chineseand Americans that I will not make any compromise on this.” Buteveryone knows who Koirala was hinting at as having posed a threat toNepal’s sovereignty. On Friday, he told some authors that he would notbe able to reveal the identity of the conspirators at this moment.

However, those who can easily decipher Koirala’s remarks now sayhis chair is perhaps getting shaky.

UNMIN protestUNMIN has asked Maoists to honour its

commitments regarding management ofarms and armed personnel. The appealcomes in the wake of about 4,000 people’sliberation army coming out of the canton-ments in Arunkhola area on Friday.

UNMIN promptly communicated itsresentment to the Maoist leadershipreminding them that such activities wouldcreate hurdles in creating a conducive atmosphere for the election.

A UNMIN statement said, “UNMIN has communicated its concernsdirectly to the political and military leadership of the CPN (Maoist), whoadvised that it ordered the immediate return of personnel to thecantonment…..Implementing the commitments in relation to themanagement of arms and armed personnel, without exception, isessential to the overall peace process and in particular to preparing afree and fair atmosphere for the constituent assembly election.”

Promoting diversityStudents of Ullens School in Khumaltar promoted diverse ethnic

culture in a different way on the occasion of the Children’s Day onSeptember 15. Teachers, students and school staff assembled in theirethnic wear and witnessed students perform their cultural shows.

A community meal that consisted of ethnic varieties was also part ofthe celebration. The cultural shows staged on the day included that ofthe Tamang, Magar, Gurung, Sherpa, Limbu, Chepang, Maithili, Newar,Bahun and Chhetris.

“Each ethnic group has its own existence, and it should be protectedequally. That is why we observed the day in the manner we did,” MedinBahadur Lamichhane, Principal of the school said.

Newsbrief

Tsunami fellowshipfor journalistsAsia Media Forum, a network of media practitioners fromacross Asia, has announced the grant of Tsunami JournalismFellowship 2007 to four journalists from the region for an in-depth work on post-Tsunami issues affecting the communi-ties. This is the first fellowship of the kind.

An AMF release said the four journalists will work inTsunami affected communities in India, Sri Lanka,Indonesia, and Thailand. They will collect case studies fortheir stories around various policy, rehabilitation andrebuilding issues confronting the Tsunami hit communities.Actionaid has provided strategic and financial support toundertake the fellowship programme. During the two-weekfellowship programme, the fellows will come up with theirtext and visual stories to be printed or broadcast in theirrespective media. This will mark the third anniversary ofTsunami in December.

The fellows will be given a lump sum grant worth US $ 2000/-(including travel and other expenses) each with some logisticsupport where they will be working. According to the plan, thefellows will be assigned work in any one of the four Tsunami hitcountries and they will be placed there from October 1.

The four who have been awarded the fellowship are:Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak – Reporter; The Jakarta Post,Indonesia; M Sajitha – Current Affairs Producer; Kairali TV,India; Nantiya Tangvisutijit – Senior Editor; The Nationgroup, Thailand and Hafsy Abdulla – Newscaster,Television Maldives, Maldives.

ä nf correspondent

In a unique exercise mooted bya very senior politician, top 30leaders belonging to three majorpolitical parties would have a cake-walk in the proposed constituentassembly.

The idea mooted by CPN-UMLGeneral Secretary Madhav KumarNepal envisages that top tenleaders from each of the threeparties, Nepali Congress,Communist Party of Nepal-UnitedMarxist Leninist (CPN-UML) andthe Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M), should get intothe constituent assembly virtuallywithout any contest.

Senior UML sources said theidea of reservation for the over-privileged is ‘positive move’ thatwould make Maoists feel comfort-able to contest elections. “Onereason why Maoists are hesitant tocontest the election is because theyare not sure about their prospects,including that of the top leaders,”he said, adding, “if there is aguarantee that at least the topleaders would win, they will not beaverse to the idea of facing

In favour of elitesMadhav Nepal emerges as the patron of thetop ‘ class’ politicians.

elections.”Although Nepal’s idea has found

favour from some members of theG P Koirala ‘coterie’, all the otherfive parties in the coalition haveopposed it on the ground that thisgoes totally against the principle ofthe policy and spirit of reservation.“It is meant for under-privileged orunder-represented. There cannotbe reservation for over-privilegedand over represented,” a Congresscentral committee member said.

Sources in the UML said thatMadhav Nepal has put forward hisidea before Prachanda as well asthe Prime Minister and both havenot discarded it. There will be bothfirst past the post system as well asthe proportional representationsystem of election applied duringthe election. Although MadhavNepal has not explained why thosetop 30 could not be accommodatedunder the respective parties quotaunder the proportional representa-tion system, he apparently wants toensure that the top ones ‘getelected directly’, a categoryconsidered more prestigious thanthe ones in the other category of‘elected’.

Bhagirath resignsBhagirath Basnyat, former acting secretary in theforeign ministry, has resigned from service. He resignedin protest against being denied promotion in the rank ofthe secretary in a conspiratorial manner.

Knowledgeable sources in bureaucracy said Basnyathanded over the resignation to the chief secretary onFriday alleging that he was victimised by some powerfulelements for not having fulfilled their undue requests.

He is believed to have said it was much more dignifiedfor him to quit than to run around for a promotion forwhich he was qualified enough. Sources said hecomplained about his being conspiratorially shifted to theprime minister’s office from the foreign affairs ministryand later denied promotion.

“After having served for 33 years in various positionkeeping national interest in mind, my conscience does notallow me to continue in the post any more when norms ofpromotion and denial are flouted in such an arbitrarymanner,” Basnyat is believed to have told his colleagueswho persuaded him not to take the extreme step.

He was being tipped as the ambassador to London,but a last minute change in the list, saw him replaced byMurari Sharma. Basnyat is the second bureaucrat toquit in recent days in protest against political interferencein appointment of secretaries, something that is likely tobe formalised very soon after the main three rulingparties, Congress, UML and the Maoists, agree on thelist of their ‘favourites’.

Editor & Publisher : Yubaraj GhimireExecutive Editor : Sushma AmatyaNews Coordinator : Manoj DahalDesign: Sunil Khadgi, Kishor Raj Panta & Ramkrishna RanaAddress : PO Box: 8830, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, NepalTel : 4443888, Fax : 4421147 (Edt.), 4411912 (Mkt.)Email: newsfront@bhrikuti.com, marketing@bhrikuti.com (Mkt.)Printed by: Express Color Press, Buddhanagar, Tel.: 4781810, Distribution: Kasthamandap, Tel.: 2010821

17-23 Sept, 20074 Editorial

LettersPrachanda beware!

Abhin Shrestha is perhaps the mostpowerful cartoonist in the country today.His cartoons speak volumes about slavesof politics and are so simple to under-stand and enjoy.

The one that shows Maoist chiefPrachanda first running after election,and now running away from the electionsays in that small space, the entire truthof the Nepali politics and Maoists’predicament. Prachanda should take itas a serious warning that not only hasAbhin understood it, but he has mademany Nepalis understand the politics ofdeceit and dishonesty that Maoists arepursuing now.

Not facing election in a free andfearless atmosphere means Maoists do not believe in apolitics where people play a role. That also means theycontinue to believe that power comes from the barrel of guns.

Mukti ShakyaBangemuda, Kathmandu

BP out says GPG P Koirala may have been a loyal follower of his older

brother BP Koirala at one point of time. But now, especiallyafter the successful people's movement of last year, GPKoirala has become the ‘tallest’ leader of the country now.

The policy of national reconciliation which B P Koiralachampioned once has become irrelevant. BP may have hadreasons to return to Nepal following his differences with IndiraGandhi. But it was again due to GP Koirala's pragmaticwisdom that he succeeded in securing trust and confidence ofIndia. BP has become irrelevant in present context of Nepal.And GP Koirala has every right to declare, by words andaction, that BP and his politics and days are gone.

Sabin ThapaTahachal, Kathmandu

Petrol for womenFor quite some time there have been

long queues for petrol every where in thecountry. Looks like it is going to be a longbefore the situation normalises. At a timewhen we are talking about women'sempowerment and their involvement inthe decision making process, it is alsoequally important that special attentionsare paid for increasing their efficiency.

Facilitating their movement forassigned or any kind of works they do istherefore very necessary. As we havedifferent queues for males and females incinema halls, can't we have separatequeues for fuels as well for women?

Shital DahalRamkot, Kathmandu

Ridiculous banking chargesMost of our banks are still showing their miserly attitude and

charging any amount they like, when they issue and renewdebit and credit cards of their customers. For example, NepalInvestment Bank charges annual fee and maintenance chargeagainst each customer's account.

We, the customers are taking the matter lightly and payanywhere between 200 to 1000 rupees per year as fees.However, such banks make huge amounts collecting thosethousands from each of us. This shows banks are makingmore money from us due to our lack of knowledge and lessbecause of their efficiency and management.

Most of our banks' CEOs studied in UK and USA and theyare aware of the fact that leading foreign banks like NatWest,Barclays, Lloyds, City, American Express etc. from UK andUSA do not take any such charges from their valuedcustomers. My opinion is that such high charging banksshould stop levying ridiculous charges on their customers.

Binod TimsinaKathmandu

Sheer hoaxThe parliamentary hearing for confirmation of some key constitu-tional and diplomatic appoints are over. And there is not much toboast about it. The special committee of parliament miserably failedto show that the members, may be with some notable exceptions,failed to act above narrow partisan lines. The members clearly actedon the dictates of the parties they belonged to.

Why else would Congress, Congress-D and the RashtriyaPrajatantra Party favour en block the confirmation of KedarPrasad Giri as the Chief Justice, and the left block oppose him?Similarly, they went more or less along their party lines inconfirmation of the ambassador designates. Supreme Court'sindependence has been thoroughly compromised as Giri wouldnow be perceived as a pro-Congress and anti-left Chief Justice.

It would have been more appropriate if the committee consistedof independent members with enough knowledge on the subjectsthey were going to deal with. But a committee that acts purely onparty lines would only prove to be a farcical exercise. Thecommittee could not act above and beyond the party line during aseries of hearings recently.

Chief Justice was opposed or supported on the basis that reflectedthe position of political parties. Ambassadors were endorsed becausetheir choice was made on the basis of an understanding among themajor political parties to pocket plum positions. Similar was the case ofthe National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

There has been a debate over a period of time that the lawyerswho are members of parliament should not be allowed to practice.But no laws to the effect have come into force. Instead, some ofthe lawyer parliamentarians are now in the committee with a rolein confirming (appointing) judges. This means that the committeehearing system has been introduced without a clearly thought outplan, although it may have had the best of intentions.

A diplomat confirmed by the House committee in the US willhave reasons to boast about one's ability since it's done by acommittee of experts which more or less acts on a non-partisanbasis with no party whip. But an ambassador confirmed by ourcommittee will literally have nothing to feel elated about. Each ofthe political appointee has been tipped because of his/herproximity with particular leaders, and not because of theirpossessing qualifications and experience for the post.

The House committee could have given much more meaning,substance and direction to this practice by trying to facilitateevolution of foreign policy, national security and economic interestbesides trying to get members across the party lines on this move.Perhaps, a downsizing of the committee, with not more than 40per cent of the current strength, with members having betterunderstanding of the issues would be an effective way of takingthis process forward in a meaningful and dignified way.

A man who doesn't trust himself can never really trustanyone else.

- Cardinal De Retz

Point to Ponder

Tracing a SiddhaBhoganâthar or Bhogar, the Jñâna Guru ofBabaji, in the poem "Bhogar JñânaSagarama," identifies himself as a Tamilian. Inthe same verse he states that the greatSiddha Kâlangi Nâthar initiated him in JñânaYoga (supreme self-knowledge).

He belonged to the ancient tradition of Nava(nine) Nâth sadhus (holy ascetics), tracingtheir tradition to Lord Shiva. There are nineimportant shrines associated with this tradition,five of which are in the Himâlaya Mountains:Amarnâth (where Shiva first taught Kriya Yogato his Shakti partner, Parvati Devi), Kedarnâth,Badrinâth (India), Kailâsanâth, (Tibet) andPaúupatinâth (Nepal).

Bhoganâthar practicedKundalini Yoga in fourstages. The first threestages are described in alater chapter on "ThePsychophysiology of KriyaKundalini Pranayama."Bhoganâthar chose thePalani Malai (mountain) inwhat is now southwesternTamil Nadu as the site forintensive yogic practice(Tapas) for the final stage. He attained swarûpasamâdhi at Palani, through the grace of LordMuruga, or the eternal youth, “Kumâra Swâmi”.

The Kumâraswâmi temple at Palani became

Spiritual Cornerfestivals, and vanished in time like others(other remarkable teachers who had comeacross the Pacific according to numerouslegends of Incas, Aztecs and Mayans)."

He convened a meeting of many Siddhasjust before the beginning of the present KaliYuga, in 3102 BC, to determine the bestway for humanity to progress along thespiritual path during the coming period ofdarkness. The Yoga of love and devotion,Bhakti Yoga, was chosen as being the bestmeans. Bhoganâthar was entrusted by thesiddhas with the task of defining the ritualsfor the worship of their favorite deity “PalaniÂndavar”, the Lord (Muruga) of Palani.

Source: http://palani.org/bhogar-biography.htm

the epicenter of his activi-ties.He visited many countriesastrally, and physically andthrough transmigration. In oneof his songs Bhoganâthar claimsto have flown to China at onepoint in a sort of airplane whichhe built: he held discussions withChinese Siddhas beforereturning to India.

His visit to South America hasbeen confirmed by accounts left

by the Muycas of Chile:"Bocha, who gave laws to Muycas, was a

white, bearded man, wearing long robes,who regulated the calendar, established

17-23 Sept, 2007 5Debating Development

ä MSR. Wanderer

A pancake is flat and thin, made from abatter of water and flour- a drop of milk ifyou’re lucky. You can serve it with differentfillings to hide the fact that it’s nothingsubstantial. It’s not much to write homeabout, yet enthusiasts talk as if it’s the mostwonderful dish in the world. That’s becauseit has a comforting sameness and you canadd variety to it according to your taste,sweet or sour.

Spam, originally, is nothing to do with thestuff that floods your emails promisingsexual delights beyond your wildest dreams,or that rubbish that comes through the postas junk mail, but is a bland, mediocre lumpin a tin that tries to pass itself off as meat.

We’ve had a taste of both in Nepal overthe past two decades. The pancake is thePanachayatiraj – a rather dull dish thatcould have been tastier if only sufficientvariety had been brought into its flatness. Ifonly the people had had more voice aboutthe ingredients, the pancake just might haveedged up the scale in terms of appeal.

Now, in switching over to spam, let’savoid the D word for goodness sake. It’sbeen flogged to death in this country, notleast by aid workers, INGOs, NGOs,

diplomats; and, incidentally, none of themappears to come from a generation in their ownlands that had to fight for the vote, so what theywould really know about suffering and suffrageis a moot point – suffering for them seems to bedoing without electricity.

Well let’s get back to spam, or our politicalelite: a nice contradiction in terms since elitesuggests special-ness and political infers thatone has the skill to govern and is promotingone’s preferred form of governance. Ourpolitical elite are neither skilful in governance norvery special. They well deserve the acronymthey have given themselves –SPAM– becausethey are, at the end of the day, just a mediocreconcoction passing themselves off as meat,enclosed in a shiny casing which they calldemocracy.

Democracy does not, however, involvedeliberate destruction of everything that has beenbuilt up before, it does not involve witch-huntingbut rather defends the freedom of expressionand difference, and it does not involve squabblingfor positions and commissions.

In two movements, one with tremendouspopular support and the other with a large doseof coercion of the populace whether by fact orfear, we have arrived at the current impasse–aninterim government that has failed to governjustly and wisely; has failed to impose law and

order and the equality of all before the law; andthe most abysmal failure of all which is to givethe people of Nepal a voice in their own destiny.

It is insufficient to argue that bringing hordeson to the streets to commit acts of violence is anexpression of the people’s will. Sooner or laterour interim ‘representatives’ will have to realisethat ‘a volunteer is worth ten pressed men,’ andthat their misuse of the people’s assets will notbuy their status forever. One day their house ofstraw will collapse.

Vindictiveness has no place in governance;and yet the vindictiveness of a few has led to themixture of mediocrity we suffer today. Mediocrityis destroying us and depriving us of a voice. It isnot democracy when we are obliged to acceptthe diktats of leaders who wish to presenteverything to the people of Nepal as a faitaccompli without submitting themselves to thepeople’s mandate. That is autocracy anddictatorship, and it is maintained by fear.

We, the silent majority, are not so stupid as tobelieve that one single faction brought us to thissad impasse. Politicians might seek personalblamelessness in appointing a ‘whipping boy’ asall autocrats do, but each and every one of usmust share the blame. We must also accept thatnone of this charade has ever been abouthelping the poor and dispossessed: it wasbefore and is now all about the political elite

benefiting from the assets earned by themajority.

Without free and fair elections we’ll bestuck with the same ingredients we havenow, violence, empty rhetoric, breakdown oflaw and order, and graft and corruption. It istime for we the people to speak and laydown the gauntlet, or the alternatives will bedreadful.

The challenge is to find us a governmentthat is transparent and honest–no dealsbehind locked doors and no strikes called outof vindictiveness– a government that acceptsthat it is there to serve the people and not beserved by them; and a government that willkeep its fingers off commissions andincitements to destroy the assets of thiscountry. Above all, it must be a governmentthat submits itself at timely intervals to thevoice of the people through election, insteadof continually trying to avoid the veryinstitution that is the basis of democracy.

To date, mediocrity is destroying the nationand it is time for the political elite to put upand shut up, go to their constituencies–honestly, if they possibly can–and let thepeople decide, based on past performancesand without exchange of money or falsepromises, whether they can trust them withtheir future and that of generations to come.

Nepali pancakeIt is insufficient to argue that bringing hordes on to the streets to commit acts of

violence is an expression of the people’s will.ne

wsfro

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Inter6 17-23 Sept, 2007

Masayuki Tanigawa, professor of politicalscience at Nagasaki University, Japan; haspublished many books and articles including Theconstitution of the kingdom of Nepal, Improve-ment of India-China relationship and theProspect of the peace building in Nepal,Fatalism and democratisation in Nepal, Therationale of the kingship in Nepal. In thefollowing interview that he gave to Newsfront,Prof Tanigawa expressed his critical opinion onelection, federalism, republicanism and Japan'srole in the UNMIN.

Are you optimistic about the peaceprocess leading to a settlement of theconflict?

The issue now is how to materialise compre-hensive peace agreement into a new constitu-tion in the constituent assembly established bythe constituent assembly election. But thisimplementation of general agreement is reallydifficult, because it demands many politicalcompromises from political parties.

Politics is a compromise or "the art ofpossibility." Parliament is the most importantpublic space for political parties to reach anagreement through mutual political compro-mises. But these political compromises arepossible only in a state in which people are nottotally divided into some social groups.

Unfortunately Nepal has serious socialdivisions among castes, ethnicities, regions, etc.Among them, the most serious is the divisionbetween the rich and the poor, or the develop-ment gap. Due to economic liberalisation afterthe 1990 revolution, economic or developmentgap is growing rapidly. Many statistics testify it.We must realise that this development gap is notonly a statistical objective fact, but also apsychological gap. Thanks to popularised massmedia, even poor people in rural area can knowwell about prosperous Kathmandu life. The gapbetween their life and latter’s life is tremendous.Now that they know this gap, they cannotendure it anymore.

This objective cum psychological developmentgap sharply divides Nepali people and makespolitical compromises very difficult. Even ifleaders of parties think compromises arereasonable under given conditions, rank-and-filesupporters do not accept them. This is especiallythe case with the Maoists. If Maoist leadersreally want reasonable compromises necessaryfor agreements, grass-roots supporters will notaccept them. The grass-roots radicals willorganise their own organisations and start newwars against the establishment including theirown past leaders.

But in the long term, I am rather optimistic.For an outsider like me, Nepal seems to havedeveloped amazingly. England needed about400 years and Japan, more than 100 years fordemocratisation. Nepali history of democracy isabout 50 years after 1951, or more strictly only17 years after 1990. In this very short period,Nepal has admirably developed industries anddemocracy. We must evaluate history fairly.And we also should not fail to see the growthof the middle class. Theyare the core people of civilsociety who can stabilisesociety and graduallymature democracy inNepal.

Fortunately or unfortu-nately, Nepal is veryvulnerable in internationalrelations. The global societynow can use much influencefor the peace building inNepal.

If Nepali governmentrecovers its legitimacy and reliability throughpeace process, it will be able to give its people ahope of steady step-by-step improvement.Japanese people just after the defeat in theWorld War II were in miserable conditions. Theydid not have enough food, clothes, houses andother necessary things for daily life. But theJapanese government with help of the USgovernment could give them a gleam of hopefor better future. With the hope, Japanesepeople could avoid anarchy or coup and follow away for steady development anddemocratisation.

Nepali government with cooperation ofpolitical parties and civil society can give a hopefor better tomorrow. With it, people can acceptpolitical compromises for peace, expecting asteady improvement. In this way, peace will

come again to Nepal.

One major area of difference is abouthow to address the cases of grosshuman rights violations during the yearsof insurgency. What is your view onthis?

To solve problems related to human rightsviolations is a necessary step for the peacesettlement. For this purpose, an independentpowerful commission must be established. Thegovernment can delegate an investigationpower to the commission. After close investiga-tion, the government must compensate for allproperty damages from national budget or letthe concerned persons compensate them.

Theoretically, property compensation is notvery difficult. But in practice it is hard to carryout. Maoists caused much damage to houses,land and other properties, so to let themcompensate for all these damages is in fact verydifficult. The government should let Maoistsreturn confiscated houses, lands and other

properties as much aspossible, and for the restthe government mustcompensate the same wayas in cases of governmentcaused damages.

Physical and mentaldamages caused by bothsides are much moreserious. In this case, a truthreconciliation commissionlike the one in South Africais practical and effective.After the facts aboutdamages are fully disclosed

and recognised by assailants and victims, thecommission requests reconciliation betweenthem.

In Nepal where both parties have wagedviolent attacks against each other for more than10 years, punishment due to past deeds tend toresult in revenge, so it is not good for thereconstruction of peaceful society. To victims andtheir families, the government must providemental care and financial support. Civil society isalso expected to contribute much to this victimcare and support program.

How hopeful are you about theelection taking place on schedule?

Election to the constituent assembly may notbe possible on 22 Nov under present circum-

Unitary staceremonial h

A gun cannot producefood, clothes, houses

and other things Nepalipeople really need intheir lives….Ethnic,

language and religiousproblems as well as

development gap cannotbe solved by election.

and Japan's in peace proc

Fortunately orunfortunately, Nepalis very vulnerable ininternational rela-tions. The globalsociety now can usemuch influence forthe peace buildingin Nepal.

717-23 Sept, 2007rview

stances. To have elections, the eight partiesshould put full trust in the interim governmentwhich is the election administration governmentestablished by themselves. This is a compromisenecessary for peaceful free election. And theUNMIN as well as NGOs can contribute muchfor free election. If eight parties can compromisefor the election and international society givesfull support to the government, it may bepossible.

But here we must be careful not to expect toomuch from the election. Election is veryimportant, but many other things are required tolegitimatise the government. "Election democ-racy" has failed in many developing countriessuch as Afghanistan and Iraq. Ethnic, languageand religious problems as well as developmentgap cannot be solved by election. Election is notmagic. To solve these problems, we must utiliseother available means that are non-electoral orsometimes traditional. Election is only one ofmany means, so we should not put too muchweight on it. Paradoxically speaking, politicalparties and other interest or social groups cancompromise for the election.

One major agenda now is movingtowards federalism. How effective willthe federal system be for future Nepalfor its development?

I do not think federal system is good forNepal. Many people say federalisation isnecessary for various social groups such asethnic, language, religious or regional groupsto be recognised. This is not true. It is notrealistic and even dangerous both for nationalintegration and for the social groups them-selves.

Clear definition of social groups is almostimpossible. To which group does a family belongwhose father, a Chhetri, married a Newariwoman and has lived in Terai since severalgenerations? There are many such attributes ina person. And groups are always changing theircharacter. So, if we want a clear definition ofeach group for federalisation, it means forcing aperson to select only one identity among his/hermany multiple identities.

Federalisation for group rights inevitablyintensifies identity politics, which forcefully dividespeople into social groups, cements them, letsthem differentiate from one another and leadsthem to endless group or communal conflicts.Federalisation will endanger national integrationand peace. It endangers even individuals andminorities in a component state.

If component states are set up according toethnicity, religion, languages and so on andhave autonomous ruling power over theirrespective territories, the majority in acomponent state can much easily suppressindividuals or minorities in it, and the centralgovernment cannot defend them effectivelybecause it has the right of self-rule.Federalisation is dangerous both for individualcitizens and small minorities.

For development too, it is disadvantageous. Itcannot realise a lasting peace in Nepal, and upto a certain level of development, a strong stablecentralised government rather than a weakgovernment is necessary for planning andmanaging development.

What alternative model would yousuggest?

It is much better for Nepal to maintain theexistent unitary state system while promotingdevolution and local self-rule. Japan completelydestroyed the Tokugawa regime, feudal or in asense federal system, by the Meiji revolution in1867, and built a unitary, extremely centralisedmodern state. The Japanese government sincethen successively suppressed minority groupsand local cultures, homogenised Japanesesociety by the national language, nationalreligion, general compulsory education, andmodernised and industrialised Japan by strongtop-down method. This was a typical develop-mental dictatorship.

After Japan, some Asian countries such asSouth Korea did it and developed dramatically.Japan is still one of the most centralised statesthough democratised only after the World WarII. Centralisation of power does not necessaryprevent development but, on the contrary,promoted top-down development in states likeJapan and South Korea.

However, Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society. The government cannotforcefully homogenise Nepali society, even if itwants it. A unitary state Japan cannot be a statemodel for Nepal. And Nepal is not a state as theUnited States that was established by theagreement of several existent states. Nepal hasbeen a unitary state for a long time, so itsdivision into states is difficult. For example, howto draw border lines and how many states to becreated? Artificial forcible creation of states willcause new ethnic or cultural conflicts leading civilwar or separation of some partsof Nepal. Therefore, Nepal hasto follow gradual step-bay-steptransformation. It will be acompromise of some systems.

Nepal is a modern state, so itsbase must be liberal democracy.In public sphere, each person istreated as one person irrespec-tive of his/her ethnicity or culture,that is, as an independentindividual with equal civil rights.Instead, ethnicity and cultureenjoy freedom in private spherewhere government does notinterfere. This is modern individualistic liberaldemocracy of which France is typical. It is liberal,but majoritarian democracy, so it tends tomajority rule and, in worst case, to totalitariandemocracy. Minority rights tend to be onlynominal in it.

Therefore, Nepal as a unitary state mustintroduce drastic devolution and strong localself-rule. For example, if 75 districts aredelegated much power to rule their own area, itis almost same as federal system. In addition tothis, Nepal should be bicameral. The lowerhouse should be composed of representativesof the nation, not of any group or regions;elected on the basis of individualistic liberaldemocracy. The upper house should becomposed of representatives of various socialgroups.

The lower house is superior in general, butthe upper house has veto power under givenconditions to those matters related directly togroup interests. This bicameral legislature is atypical compromise or combination of tworepresentation systems, and is more realistic inNepal.

Do you envisage a Nepal minusmonarchy? How would a republic Nepalbe different from a monarchial Nepal?

Ceremonial monarchy is better for Nepal.Many people say that Nepali kings usurpedpower and were dictators and so monarchyshould be dumped. Nonsense! If so, why don'tyou dump election or parliament that Hitler usedfor getting state power? Systems and theirusers should be separated. First we evaluatesystems themselves, and then consider the risksof human misuse of them. In case of monarchy,an active monarchy is completely out-of-date,but a ceremonial monarchy, or a pure symbolking with no political power, is useful in Nepal.

For example, in Nepal about 80% of thepopulation is Hindu, and people’s daily life isclosely interwoven with religion. So, Nepalcannot be completely away from religion. Thestate must take part in many religious ceremo-nies. When PM Koirala received the blessingsfrom the priest at Krishna Mandir on 4 Sep; itwas a violation of the interim constitution thatprovides secularism or the separation of religionand politics. Pious Muslims, Christians or non-religious people would never accept thisreligious activity of the prime minister. If theprime minister continues such religious activitiesas the head of secular state, non-Hindu peoplewill be irritated, and this might lead to religiousconflicts as in India. This is not the path Nepalshould follow.

If Nepal is a ceremonial monarchy,secularisation of politics is much easier. The kingperforms religious and other cultural ceremonieswhile the prime minister focuses only on secularpolitics. Nepali monarchy has a long history andpeople are used to it. A ceremonial monarchy issuited well with the multi-ethnic, multi-culturalstate.

But ceremonial monarchy will be impossible ifthe king does not accept complete renunciationof political power. Unfortunately he seems not toaccept it up to now. So, Nepal cannot help butgo for secular republicanism. In this case, the

republic Nepal shouldhave a ceremonialpresident whom everycitizen irrespective ofethnicity or religion canrespect. Thisceremonial presidenttakes part in variousceremonies in order toobserve the separa-tion of religion andpolitics. Ultimately, theceremonial presidentsystem will becomealmost same as theceremonial monarchy.

What is the role that you see forJapan, one of the biggest donors, in thepeace process in Nepal?

Japan can and should help Nepali peacebuilding by peaceful means. Japan has sent sixsoldiers to the UNMIN. The UNMIN is a politicalmission and the soldiers are not armed.Japanese government officially explains theirrole is completely non-military and most Nepalipeople may think so too. But this is a wrongpolicy.

Japanese Constitution clearly prohibits militaryforces. The Article 9 provides "land, sea, and airforces, as well as other war potential, will neverbe maintained." Therefore, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) is completely against the

ate,head

constitution and to send its soldiers is much lessconstitutional. What an irony! How can theunconstitutional Japanese government promoteNepali constitutionalism? Six Japanese soldiersin the UNMIN are symbols of Japan'smilitarisation. They are utilised to advertise theremarkably increasing overseas mission of thenew ministry of defense.

But, what can the six solders in the UNMINdo for Nepali workers and farmers? And worse,the Japanese government seems to utilise theJapanese role in the UNMIN for setting upmilitary relationship with Nepal. So, Nepalipeople as well as Japanese people shoulddemand immediate withdrawal of the soldiersfrom Nepal. Instead, Japan should help Nepalby other non-military aids. Peace should berealised by peaceful means.

Conflicts in Nepal are resulting mainly fromwidening gap of developments. In the 1990s,Japan and other advanced capitalist statesforced on Nepal an open free market economy.Big global companies like Toyota, Suzuki,Canon, etc. promoted their products in Nepal.This economic liberalisation presents big profitsto the rich and serious unemployment to thepoor. Japan, one of the global economicpowers, is responsible for it.

A gun cannot produce food, clothes, housesand other things that Nepali people really needin their lives. Japan should not venture militaryrole in Nepal. Japanese non-military develop-ment aid so far is very highly appreciated inNepal and Japanese government shouldpromote it more.

Finally, we can learn three lessons fromJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’sresignation on 12 Sep. Firstly; the American-led globalisation should not be introducedwithout considering social conditions of eachcountry. It has sharply widened the rich-poorgap in Japan like in Nepal. The depressedpeople especially in rural areas of Japanoverthrew the Abe administration. Secondly,the separation of religion and politics should bestrictly observed. Thirdly, militarisation shouldbe stopped anywhere as violence causes moreviolence.

The root of conflicts in Nepal is global marketcapitalism, so we as global citizens should andcan strengthen our people-to-people relationshipto build a lasting peace in Nepal. We sincerelywish peace by peaceful means in Nepal.

(E-mail: peaceandrights@hotmail.comHomepage: http://www.for-peace.com

rolecess

In Nepalabout 80% ofthe popula-tion is Hindu,and people’sdaily life iscloselyinterwovenwith religion.So, Nepalcannot becompletelyaway fromreligion.

Nepal as a unitarystate must introducedrastic devolutionand strong localself-rule. If 75 dis-tricts are delegatedmuch power, it isalmost same asfederal system.

17-23 Sept, 20078 Opinion

ä Roop Joshi

The interim government of Nepal saw it fitto declare the country, a Hindu Kingdomsince 1769, a secular state. Along with thestripping of the king’s powers, the negationof the word ‘royal’ from everything from thenational army to the national airlines, and thegeneral fever of ‘loktantra’ or even‘ganatantra,’ this was yet another politicallyrushed initiative of the EPA (Seven PartyAlliance plus Maoists). The advent ofdemocracy in the so-called ‘new’ Nepal, withat least 85 per cent of its Hindu population,become instantaneously secular without asingle citizen being solicited for his/her views.That this feat was achieved by an un-electedgovernment is entirely another issue.

Why this undemocratic declaration of asecular state? It was a political tool toappease the “internationals” (variouscountries, proselytizing groups, INGOs, etc.).Even the Maoists, submerged in doctrinaireMarxism, had dared not pressure this issueknowing fully well the feelings of Nepalis. Bythis treasonous act of appeasement, theinterim government compromised thesovereignty of our nation. By bending to thewill of foreigners, we became but a pseudo-colony long after the demise of colonialism.While countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistanand Israel maintain state religions, helplessNepal was pressured to give up its historicalculture and religion by a bevy of 21st centuryproselytisers.

In juxtapose, we are well aware that thecurrent US President’s politics is heavilyinfluenced by the religious right-wing of thatcountry – the same right-wing which hasbizarre beliefs such as advocating absti-nence as the only solution to teenagepregnancy. The Queen of the UnitedKingdom is not only the Head of State butalso the Head of the Anglican Church.

Norway, Iceland, Finland and Denmark all haveconstitutional links between church and state;yet they provide more freedom of religion than asecular state.

For example the Finnish governmentprovides funding for the construction ofmosques; and Iceland was among the firstcountries to legalise abortion. Religion has alsoproved resilient despite repression. Case inpoint is Mongolia where religion was suppressedduring three decades of Soviet influence andcommunist government. Nevertheless,Buddhism survived and has flowered againopenly since 1990. State religion is certainly not

rare even in the 21st century.

Having explored how and why Nepal lost itsHindu identity let us see what it is that we lost.The term Hinduism is actually an aberration: thepeople from the Indus civilization were originallyknown as Hindus. The religion they practiced wasSanatan Dharma - Sanatan meaning from thebeginning of the world and Dharma meaning thepath to real happiness through self-realisation.Sanatan Dharma, the oldest religion in the world,advocates spiritual or religious practices thatresult in the salvation of the soul.

It is considered the religion which eternally

exists in God, which was revealed by God,which describes the names, forms, virtuesand the abodes of God, and which revealsthe true path of God. Sanatan Dharma is nota ‘religion’ in the western sense. It is a ‘way oflife’, a philosophy to achieve salvation. Everyreligion has an ‘apostle’ - except SanatanDharma. The teachings of this religion havecome through the spiritual meditation ofvarious enlightened Gurus who receivedrevelations from God.

Sanatan Dharma is the most secular of allreligions. It does not criticise any otherreligion. It does not try to convert people ofother religions. It provides freedom for all topractice their own religious beliefs. It has notconflicted with any other religion in Nepal.The pluralistic nature of this religion furtherbears testimony to its openness. Forexample, different members of the samefamily may worship Shiva, Kali or Krishna,without any conflict whatsoever. It isrecognised that there is but one God andcommunication with God through any avenueis perfectly acceptable.

So in this current time of political fluidity, aeuphemism for turmoil, what is to be doneregarding the irrelevant designation of Nepalas a secular state? The occasional massdemonstration or convention has not madeany dent in the government’s policy. Fundingfor this cause appears pitifully scarce. Onceagain, the silent majority, in this case at least85 per cent of the population, remainscomplacent.

It is time for voters to also think about theposition of candidates on whether Nepalshould revert to a Hindu state or not.Whether that view is extended to the choiceof a Hindu kingdom will likely be decided by areferendum. Political theology may apply tothe latter issue, but religion need not beconstrained by the chains of petty politics. ä

UNDEMOCRATICDECLARATIONNepal, with at least 85 per cent of its Hindu population be-come instantaneously secular without a single citizen beingsolicited for his/her views

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE)play a crucial role in generatingemployment opportunities andalleviating poverty in Nepal. In Nepal,outside agriculture, MSE sector isestimated to employ 1.6 millionpersons or more than 70 percent ofthe persons employed in the nonagriculture sector. It has a crucial rolein employment creation. In mostcountries, the major part of employ-ment can be found in MSE.

These enterprises are alsoimportant in unlocking the capacity ofentrepreneurship and providing fordynamism in an economy. In mostcountries, the share of womenworkers and employers in microenterprises is much higher that theirshare among larger enterprises 60percent in Nepal.

The business environment inNepal contributes only moderately,at best, to the growth andsustainability of the MSE sector.Physical constrains make it costlier tomore goods, but they also protectmicro enterprises from completion.Rising under and unemployment hasencouraged people to opt for MSEsector, but it may be able to absorbonly a small segment of people

coming into the labour market inabsence of requisite skills.

Right incentive schemes can makean activity competitive and create afoundation for growth. The basicavailable are the tax incentives tocottage industries, incentives topromote technology, capital goodsand inputs at nominal import duty.However, MSEs generally cannotavail these incentives because theydo not import inputs and capitalgoods directly. There are manydiverse support services available inthe country at present.

The regulatory requirements forMSEs generally prove to be burden-some to smaller enterprises operatedby less educated persons with lesseraccess to resources. Likewise,legislation requirements are also notclear and have a large segment ofmicro enterprises that is not registered.

Better performance on the ease ofdoing business is associated withmore jobs and conversely, whereregulations are costly and burden-some, businesses are more likely tooperate in the informal economy,remaining very small and creating fewdecent jobs. There are examples

where, in aggregate, successfulregulatory reforms demonstratesignificant pay-offs for job creation.

The low levels of protectioncoverage of labour and labour relatedlaws are an important part of theproblem of the decent work deficit innthe MSEs as they are related directlyto shortcomings in the levels ofincome i.e. minimum wages, socialprotection and job security. While thecontent of the law may be problem-atic for MSEs in some cases, it is verycommon that complicated administra-tive procedures for compliance aremore of a burden than the law itself.

It is, therefore, important to simplifythe application of labour and labour-related laws by eliminating unneces-sary fees, reducing the number andcomplexity or simplifying the contentsof the forms, removing the need forlegal verifications and advice,reviewing the periodicity of cyclicalreporting and data collection andstrengthening the capacities andtransparency of law enforcementagencies, including the elimination ofcorrupt practices.

The liberalisation of the economy in1990s has clearly spurred private

Huge scope for microsector growth. The importance ofmicro and small enterprises includingthe home based works in contributingto job creation and output growth isnow widely accepted in bothdeveloping and least developedcountries like Nepal in particular. InNepal, there is a lack of coherentmicro and small enterprise develop-ment strategies, which take intoaccount the three dimensions ofenterprise evolution (i.e., start up,survival and growth) We should alsoidentify the different needs ofenterprises in their various stages ofevolution, which is another importantcontributory factor.

In the absence of a coherent policyframework for enterprise develop-ment, globalisation and the openingof domestic markets as part ofliberalisation policies has had anadverse impact on the enterprisestructure in many developingcountries and LDCs. In particular, theproducts of home based works arecontinually losing ground in terms oftheir competitiveness. Since, thesehome based workers mostly womanproduces the niche products. So thefocus of these products fromcollection from each producer shouldbe focused on niche markets. ä

In Nepal, there is a lack of coherent micro and small enterprise development strategies

ä Shankar Man Singh

Right incentiveschemes can

make an activitycompetitive andcreate a founda-tion for growth.The basic avail-able are the tax

incentives tocottage indus-

tries, incentivesto promote tech-nology, capital

goods and inputsat nominal import

duty.

17-23 Sept, 20079From the region

BHUTTO'S RETURN:what willbe different?

The PPP has announced thatits chairperson Ms Benazir Bhuttowill return to Pakistan on October18, 2007 and she will land atKarachi airport. TV channelsshowed PPP workers celebratingin all the big cities of the country,displaying the party’s grassrootsloyalty to her leadership. MsBhutto says that she has not beenable to reach any understandingwith the Musharraf government,and this has been confirmed by

the Information Minister, Mr Muhammad Ali Durrani in Islamabad.The government says Ms Bhutto will not be deported like Mr Nawaz

Sharif but that she would have to face the corruption and misuse ofpower cases pending against her in this country. Ms Bhutto counters bysaying that the cases have dragged on for years since the last Sharifgovernment initiated them and that she has not been convicted in any ofthem so far. This being so, she is willing to come to Pakistan to beamong her supporters in the run-up to the general election and alsopresent herself before the newly independent judiciary for justice. Shesays the matter of her becoming prime minister for a third time will beresolved in due course by the new parliament.

She has chosen to land at Karachi this time for significant reasons.Karachi is today the bailiwick of the MQM, which dominates the provincialassembly and the local government. Out in the streets, the MQM-cadreparty is almost unchallenged by any of its rivals. It must be noted,however, that when the PPP-Musharraf “deal” was being negotiated, itwas the PML chief minister of Sindh who condemned it. The voice ofprotest arose, as it were, from a Sindhi rival of the PPP, but not from theformerly anti-Sindhi MQM. In fact, out of the ruling coalition, MQM wasthe most positively inclined towards the “deal”. Ms Bhutto is thereforetesting the waters of MQM tolerance in her province where she expectsto form a government in coalition with the MQM.

The landing in Karachi has probably been made possible by thetransformation of the parties involved, under threat of Islamic extremism.It was in recognition of this development that the US is rumoured to havefavoured a coalition of “liberal” forces under President Musharraf.Washington is said to have recommended the “deal” with the PPP in lightof this recognition. President Musharraf, on the other hand, has held fastto the support of the MQM and has not responded to the alarm bellssounded frequently by the ruling conservatives of the PMLQ about the“terrorism” of the MQM. It is said that the May 12 show of force stagedby the MQM against the visit of the cashiered Chief Justice of Pakistanwas suggested by him.

Her decision not to come to Lahore has probably been prompted bythe harsh reaction shown by the Chief Minister of Punjab, ChaudhryPervaiz Elahi, to the PPP’s proposed “deal” with President Musharraf. MrElahi has been more decisive in his resolve to confront the PPP at thepolls than most PMLQ leaders. He has been active with blandishment insouthern Punjab to break the traditionally confirmed support there forthe PPP, a kind of extension of the PPP domain from next-door Sindh. In1986, when Ms Bhutto landed in Lahore to a record welcome, the primeminister in Islamabad was a fellow Sindhi, Mr Muhammad Khan Junejo.Today, it is a scion of the clan of Chaudhry Zahur Elahi who was killed inthe city by Al Zulfiqar, then a PPP terrorist wing.

The PMLQ secretary general, Mushahid Hussain Syed, says PresidentMusharraf will be re-elected by the same assemblies but will get rid of hisuniform before October 15. The PPP’s stand on the issue has becomeunclear with the passage of time. At first it was opposed to the presidentretaining his uniform, which means that the PPP could reconcile to hisadditional tenure and not boycott the elections. But lately its spokesper-son in Islamabad, Mr Farhatullah Babar, has been stating that the partywas opposed to his being re-elected by the current assemblies, full stop.This lack of clarity may lead to an understanding as events unfold afterMs Bhutto’s arrival.

If opinion polls are to be trusted, Ms Bhutto is back as the front-runnerin the country. Mr Sharif, who topped the popularity surveys before hisarrival and exit, has gone down to number two. It appears that the stageis set for a positive transition in the country for the next five years. Thecoming general election — not to be boycotted by the opposition despitevows to the contrary — will be hotly contested and, as in 2002, the PPPmay poll the most votes and contribute to a new identity of the parlia-ment in Pakistan. Whether it will be able to show the required responsi-bility in sharing power and helping run a stable ship with GeneralMusharraf, the PMLQ and the MQM remains to be seen.

(Editorial published in Daily Times, Pakistan on Sunday)

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) from the Mannar area.

Sri Lankan forces said that theTamil Tiger fighters were killed in thelast 24 hours in the northern districtsof Jaffna and Vavuniya, as well as theeastern district of Ampara. Themilitary said it had previously forcedthe group out of jungle areas in theeastern part of the country.

A large stock of arms and ammuni-tions were also uncovered during theoffensive, the military said. "A claymoremine exploded by the LTTE, targetinga military bus, killed two soldiers andwounded seven in Jaffna," a spokes-man at the Media Centre for NationalSecurity, part of the ministry ofdefence, said on Saturday.

"Soldiers killed 14 terrorists in threedifferent incidents in Vavuniya. Threesoldiers were killed in the fighting," hesaid. The military also said that anelite commando police officer,wounded in fighting in Ampara, haddied later in hospital.

The Tamil Tigers, who want anindependent state for the Tamilminority in the north and the east ofthe country, were not immediatelyavailable for comment. An estimated5,000 people have died since lastyear in renewed fighting after apeace process collapsed.

About 70,000 people have beenkilled, including thousands of civilians,since the civil war erupted in 1983.

(mwcnews)

Sri Lankan troopsclash with Tigers

Sri Lankan forces have killed atleast 15 Tamil Tiger separatists inclashes that also left six soldiers deadin the north and eastern parts of the

island, the military said.Saturday's violence came after

government forces launched a newoffensive to drive out members of the

The ongoing solidarity fast insupport of Irom Chanu Sharmila'sstruggle to repeal Armed ForcesSpecial Powers Act (AFSPA) hasbroadened its agenda congruentwith the declarations of past NewDelhi (2005) and Lahore (2006)Peaceful South Asia Conventions– demand for a Free Burma andFree Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aung San Suu Kyi is imprisonedunder the 1975 State ProtectionAct in Myanmar (Burma), whichgrants the government the powerto imprison persons for up to fiveyears without a trial. She hasbeen intermittently under arrest ofone kind or the other since 1990.

Irom Chanu Sharmila – the ironlady of Manipur in India , has beenon a continuous fast since 2000demanding repeal of AFSPA.Despite the restrictions of housearrest, Aung San Suu Kyicontinued to campaign fordemocracy, similar to IromSharmila, who has been underconfinement and steadfastlyprotesting against AFSPA sincepast 7 years now.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt hasendorsed this fast along withhundreds of other Countlesspeople are fasting for five days(13-17 September) in Keishampatjunction, Imphal, Manipur, to lobbymore support to the anti-AFSPAcampaign.

Significant others from differentcountries in the world have signed upon www.ashaparivar.org to fast forvarying durations from September 13 tosupport the campaign. The launch ofthis five days solidarity fast came twodays after the 'Apunba Lup' observedAnti-army Act Day on September 11here to mark the completion of fivedecades of the act in the North-East.The present UPA Government hadconstituted the Justice Jeevan ReddyCommission in 2004 to review AFSPAin response to an intensive campaignled by 'Apunba Lup'.

By 1988, Burma was burgeoningwith pro-democracy movement, fueledby the energy and idealism among thecountry's young people There weredemonstrations against the repressive,one-party socialist government. AungSan Suu Kyi was drawn into the pro-

democracy movement, which wassnuffed out by State Law andOrder Restoration Council(SLORC), which seized power onSeptember 18, 1988. Thousandsof pro-democracy advocates werekilled.

Next came a general election in1990, which political parties wereallowed to contest. Aung San SuuKyi, who was leading the NationalLeague for Democracy (NLD),won a landslide victory, with 80per cent support. SLORC leadersrefused to accept the electionresults putting the elected pro-democracy leaders under

Despite the restrictions of housearrest, Aung San Suu Kyicontinues to campaign fordemocracy. She was awarded theNobel Prize for peace in 1991.

The protests of Sharmila andAung San Suu Kyi represent themost ideal form of peacefulstruggles for a democraticdemand. Their victory is essentialfor the strengthening of democ-racy in South Asia and for therespect for human rights aroundthe world Their victory willdetermine whether the voice ofcommon citizen will be heard orthe state will continue to trampleover people's rights with anti-people laws and policies.

ä Bobby Ramakant,development journalist

"Free Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi"

17-23 Sept, 200710 Perspective

ä Acharya Mahayogi SridharRana Rinpoche

Here we are talkingabout genuine highlevel Samadhis ofpure awareness byitself where the

person remains absorbed in it for six,12 or 24 hours without taking a singlebreath. Even such an experience isnot considered as having penetratedthe veil of ignorance, what to speakabout watered down, thoughtlessstates of clear awareness where theperson is not even in the first Dhyanalevel.

Such experiences of thoughtlessawareness by itself without enteringinto various levels of Samadhis areeven further away from the Buddhistenlightenment. Such states can beeasily produced and are notconsidered as either enlightenment oreven near to it. In fact, according toall Buddhist traditions especially theMahayana, such states are consid-ered dangerous and if the correctview is not present, it can be evendetrimental to the process ofenlightenment.

The great Siddha Pandit of Tibet,Sakya Pandit said cultivation of suchpure awareness without the correctview can cause the person to bereborn either in the formless Devarealm or as Naga etc. To be reborn inthe formless Deva realm (ArupaDhatu Deva Loka) is considered asthe worst birth for a Bodhisattva asonce born there, s/he cannot helpsentient beings from 10,000 to80,000 Kalpas. In that state, the yogiremains in a highly blissful, andformless state which can easily bemistaken for the non-dual state fromanywhere between 10,000 Kalpas toup to 80,000 Kalpas.

There are others types of Samathasystems which are conducive to deepSamadhi that take you to the state ofsuper-consciousness, like meditatingon the inner sounds called Nada yogaor in the Shanta Parampara of Indiaas Sabad Surati yoga. There are fourlevels of Samadhi related to Nadayoga technically called: Vaikhari,Madhyama, Pasyanti and Para.

During the process, the person

Such states can be easily produced and arenot considered as either enlightenment oreven near to it.

Marshland Flowers

hears various types of sounds like thehumming of the bumble bee, thesound of the bell, drums, thunder andthe sound of Om (Pranava) and soon. At the Para level, all soundssubside and only the infinite pureawareness by itself or super-consciousness remains. Likewiseanother well-known method is toconcentrate on the light/sparks or thelike seen between the eye-brows.This too has various stages similar todifferent levels of Samadhis etc. untilone reaches the infinite light of themind or Atman as non-Buddhistswould call it.

All of these methods are onlyvarieties of Samatha and, accordingto Buddhism, these states neither areenlightenment nor do they produceenlightenment by practicing them fora long time. This statement is true ofthe famous Kundalini yoga methodstoo; which also ends i®^�n the super-conscious state of pure awareness byitself which is infinite. That one canexperience such awareness throughvarious methods of Samatha is well-known to Buddhism and is not alien atall to Buddhist literature. However,Buddhism neither regards such astate as enlightenment or liberationnor regards such states or productionof such states over and over again forlonger and longer periods asproductive of enlightenment.

Let me repeat again, that anymethod that only absorbs the mind onanything belongs to the Samatha typeof meditation. And Samathameditations, no matter how extraordi-nary or different from other Samathatypes, are not enough to attainenlightenment. And in this context,Buddhism is very emphatic that onlythe types of meditation that probe intothe mode of existence of all phenom-ena (Dharmas) to gain insight can cutthrough the 'Innate Ignorance'(Sahaja Agyan) and thus destroy thatignorance. And this type of meditation(and there are many techniqueshere) is called Vipassyana in Sanskrit,Vipassana in Pali, Lhag thong inTibetan and Kuan in Chinese andKan in Japanese.

(To be continued.)(Sridhar Rinpoche is a Vajrayana

Master)

ä Ingo Wagler

Nepal, in its current politicaltransition does not know how it willlook like at dawn. Out on streetsthese days one frequently hears thecall for a good and strong leaderwhich reflects the desire to end thelasting uncertainty. The leader of thenation GP Koirala is seen as dyingone, what is probably his mostimportant asset of credibility. But whoelse then, Prachanda, Deuba? Theunasked question remains: Who willbecome the new ‘king’?

Nepal’s desire for a good andstrong leader who will reoccupy thevacant position as the head of thenation might be understandable but isfundamentally counterproductive forthe quest of establishing democraticrule. Doing away with monarchy andhaving the choice between variousparties makes no democracy. Onlythe establishment of structures ofgovernance that strictly delimit thecompetencies of the respective posts,defines the procedure of selectionand maintains accountability to thepolity will provide the necessaryfoundation for a democratic state,that deserves its title.

And what is imperative for the statemust also count for the ones who fillthe rows of the parliament andministerial chairs, namely the parties.Dynastic succession, personality cultand autocratic rule have a longtradition in the Nepali party land-scape. Frequent splits, internalrivalries and interpersonal hostilitieshave left the credibility of all parties

severely battered, thanks to theleadership of certain overextendedpersonalities.

But it would be just too convenientto pass on all the blame to theleaders simply because it was thepeople who made them the supreme.The party as much as the non partypeople demand a leader they canfollow, for the nation as much as forthe party. And obviously anyorganisational structure needs an incharge. But, there is a crucialdifference between the representa-tive who carries out the mandate lentby the people or the party and theautocrat who rules after his ownwhim and will.

To the latter, people are merepassive subjects, but in a democracypeople have to become active,articulate their interests and dictatethem to their leaders. In this respect,the anticipation of the principle ofequality represents a crucial presuppo-sition. In order to transform the notionof authority, the fact that neither the‘king’ nor the leader deserves uncriticalrespect has to be internalised.

The good leader does not drawhis/her strength from strategicagitation and egomaniac willpower,but from his/her ability to merge thebandwidth of interests and opinionsinto one. Therefore democracy is notabout legitimising the leadership ofthe one elected but rather to establisha system that limits the role of theleader to a defined mandate in orderto prevent autocratic excess.

True, democratic systems might beprone to inefficiency, corruption,

pointless agitation and seeminglydisintegrating rivalries. It might alsobe true that a centralised leadershipoften creates stability in the short run.Though, the functioning of the latter isbased on the oppression of interestsand aspirations that are contrary tothe static definition of power relationsthat keeps the supreme in position.

In fact, Nepal had to experiencethis form of stability extensively, whichled to a steady increase in conflictingpressures to the point when it couldnot be suppressed anymore, with wellknown consequences. Therefore, thecall for unitary leadership is not morethan a fallback to old habits of beingsubjected instead of utilising theopportunity to become an activesubject. The fundamental strength ofdemocracy is that conflicts are notbeing suppressed but released andeventually solved within an institu-tional framework that does not knowthe inequality of supremacy.

Nepal has already voted fordemocracy and after the half heartedhybrid of constitutional monarchy andautocratic party democracy hasmiserably failed, the time has come doaway with unsustainable concepts ofglorious leadership. The stabilising andunifying factor that will represent thefuture Nepali democracy must not betied to a personalised leadership. Onlythen could Nepal become a rare rolemodel for overcoming a symptomatictradition of autocratic leadership whichhas in the end caused much moretrouble than stability.

(The author is research associatewith the FES Nepal)

Why Nepal’s desperate call for a national leader will notsolve its problems.

Leader hypeLeader hype

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17-23 Sept, 2007 11Art & society

Irish championä Yuyutsu RD Sharma

“I didn’t write to make money,there’s no money to be madein the literary novels,” said theIrish novelist and story writer,Harte. He talked at length about the freedom ofbeing a writer and how the publishers commis-sioning the writers to produce novels curtail thefreedom of a writer.

Harte was born in Killeenduff, near Easkey,Co Sligo, Ireland. When he was nine years oldhis family moved to Lanesboro, Co Longford,where his father worked for Bord-na-Mona. Atthe age of eighteen, he came to Dublin. He latertook up a job on the Dublin docks. He hasworked as a bus conductor, a courier, alaboratory technician, an executive officer in theCivil Service, a teacher and a school principal.

Active in Irish literature for several decades andwell known, Harte sees similarities between poetryand fiction, especially short story. He thinks that ashort story has been an artifact similar to a poem.“A short story goes straight to the imagination andfollows all possible line of development like a poemdoes.” In short story everything is specific,everything wrapped up. “I get tremendoussatisfaction after finishing a well crafted short story.”

“Irish Story is not very good, in Irelandrespect for short story is nil. It’s only those peoplewho have vested interest in story who care forstory. No magazine publishes a good story. Thebig publishing groups are not interested in short

I write for ordinary people, someone who wouldn’t requirea dictionary to read my stories.

Mro girl in her home, Chittagong hill tracts, Bangladesh.

Insight ä By Sushma Amatya

story,” said he. I was surprised to hear suchwords from a writer of nation that has been achampion of short story for decades; and hasproduced most famous story writers like OliverGoldsmith, Frank O’ Connor, James Joyce andLiam O'Flaherty. Harte refers to sixties movementof stories and points out there has been noexciting development in short stories in recenttimes. “There’s a lack of experiment and ingenuitythat leaves it so poverty stricken.”

John McGahern, Liam O'Flaherty, BernardMalamud, Borges and Kafka remain Harte’sfavorite writer. He admires South Asian story andseems intrigued by its lively texture and how itemploys folklore and mythology in the narrative.In Eastern Europe short story is very popularand still alive, discerns Harte

Harte who teaches story writing at variousuniversities and creative writing centers in Irelandbelieves you can’t give talent to your students,you only develop them. Though novel is on thetop in terms of readership, what thrives in Irelandis poetry in Irish language.

He believes writing a short story is like beatinghis head against a stone wall. “When I shapemeaning out of my struggle and get a good story,I am content. I am content even if I get just onereader, even if there’s only a small readership. Iwrite for ordinary people, someone who wouldn’trequire a dictionary to read my stories. In Irelandshort stories have select readerships; it’s likewriting a poem to a select audience.”

The writer can be reached at riter@yuyutsu.de

17-23 Sept, 200712 Makers

Six of the top 10 final-ists of Indian Idol,Charu, Deepali,Emon, Ankita, Parleenand Chang during aconcert in Kathmanduon Saturday. Nepaliviewers are keenlywatching the IndianIdol contest whereNepali-origin singerPrashant Tamang hasreached at the final.

Enthusiasm has gripped lakhsfrom Shillong and Darjeeling toget Amit Paul or PrashantTamang voted as India's nextsinging sensation.

Sikkim CM Pawan Chamlingwas quoted in Himalaya Darpan,a local daily, on Tuesday assaying he'll do "much more thanany government" to see Tamang,a fellow Nepali, beat thecompetition. Immediately afterthe CM's announcement, AnantRai, a businessman in Gangtok,announced he'll give Rs 1 croreto fund the Darjeeling singer'scampaign. Nearly 10,000students came out in a raucousprocession in neighbouringKurseong on Wednesdaychanting "win-Prashant" slogans.

Asked if cadres of GorkhaNational Liberation Front andsundry other outfits which foughta bitter war in the 80s against theWest Bengal government forGorkhaland are putting pressure,as alleged by some, on residentsto support Prashant, the secretaryof the singer's fan club inKurseong, Pradip Pradhan, said,"Everyone is doing it on their own.The allegations are baseless.Instead, we hear from outsiderssettled in Meghalaya that they arebeing threatened with expulsion ifthey don't vote for Amit."

But Pradhan agreed that theDarjeeling hills are afire. " Pahadma aago laage ko cha (Themountains are raging)," he saidfrom Kurseong, the small town thatquietly nestled between Siliguri andDarjeeling until Prashant, a villageboy from Tung Sung tea estate

who's now a constable in theCalcutta Police, reached the final ofthe show. Now the place, known forlittle more than the mushroom-likesprouting of its English schools, isthrobbing with feverish anticipationand tension.

The Amit Paul fever in India'snorth-eastern states is equallyscalding. Even as Lapangreminded the singer of the laurelsKapil Dev brought to India andsaid he had similar expectations,Purno Sangma, the former LokSabha Speaker, said, "Amit hasalready created history. He is thepride of Meghalaya and the wholeof Northeast. We are proud ofhim and I personally appeal to allcitizens of Meghalaya andNortheast to vote for Amitgenerously and make him thenext Indian Idol."

Everybody, regardless of politicalaffinity, is pitching in. Laban MLAJopsimon Phanbuh has donatedthree PCOs for the purpose offree voting. Meghalaya urbanaffairs minister Paul Lyngdoh hasgiven out three, Mawlai MLA PTSawkmie 20 and PynthorumkhrahMLA AL Hek five.

In all this frenzy, what binds thepeople of the two regions in theirlatest obsession to "win" is thedistinct awareness of being analien in their own country. DebojitSaha, a former Voice of Indiawinner from Assam, summed upthe sentiment when he said, "AmitPaul and I are both from theNortheast, a region hardly knownto the outside world. We knowwhat hurdles we have crossed toreach our desired destinations." ä

PRAISE FORPRASHANT

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