#531 10 - 16 December 2010 16 pages Rs 30

2613

GORAKH BISTA

ost Nepalis seem to have acommon hope – aconstitution and the

completion of the peace process –but how to get there withoutcrash-landing? The far westerndistrict of Humla stands as asymbol of Nepal’sunderdevelopment, but thereality is different from how ithas been presented in the mediato date. Many in Humla maintain

Simikot airport,district headquartersof Humla, at 2,900m.

Safe landingthat they are perfectly capable oftaking care of themselves, if onlygovernment facilitated irrigationalong the Karnali flats. Nepal,too, is no tiny Himalayan nationincapable of taking care of itself,doomed to failure and constantinterference from its giantneighbours. Every week, anotherentrepreneur or social activistproves that Nepalis are capable ofincredible things. Surely, then,we can move on the peaceprocess so as toprepare theground for asafe landing.Then we cantruly harvestthe fruits of ourlabour.

MZdenek and Michal Thomavisited Manang, thirty yearsapart. Here’s what they saw.

Gemunu Amarasinghe capturesthe sorrow of war in hisexhibition of images from the SriLankan civil war

Destination Humla: One of themany delights of the GreatHimalaya Trail, Humla willsurprise Nepalis as much asforeign visitors

p7

p12-13

p11

ON THE WEBwww.nepalitimes.com

MISSION IMPOSSIBLEThe Maoists are spoilt children whojust demand and demandunrealistically (‘Mission impossible’,Prashant Jha, #530).They won’t giveup the threat of violence as they knowwithout it people would rise up againstthem. Maoist leaders are also scaredof their PLA, and know ultimately theymust dismantle it and rehabilitatethese cadres. They can’t say that theywill be inducted into the securityforces or rehabilitated so they need tobring in the notion of democratising theNepal Army and combining the twoforces as equals into a new force.What a load of baloney! What reallydoes it mean to democratise an army?Asking soldiers to vote on whether tofight or not? What the Maoists mean isthat the army should be under theircontrol, which ain’t gonna happen.

I think things are turning againstthe Maoists. India won’t support themanymore, the parties are hardeningtheir stance against them, and theMaoist leaders are more divided onhow they should move forward. Thefocus should be on transforming theMaoists into a civilian party thatdoesn’ t need to have an army or aparamilitary YCL. It’s no pointdiscussing the constitution if this doesnot happen.

rishav

Our problem is that we indulge toomuch in scholastic masturbation and‘shashtriya’ punditry (perhaps outwardmanifestations of the deep-seated‘Bahunbaad’ syndrome?) rather thanstanding firmly on ground realities. Welove to play with imported jargon bothin party manifestos and publicdiscourse. We are obsessed withfeeding the people with empty rhetoricand tall slogans. What do‘democratising’, ‘civilian supremacy’,‘revolutionary reform’, ‘dominant

nationalities’, and ‘mainstreaming’mean?

We need to construct alternativediscourses and narratives if we are tosucceed as a nation. Why don’t ourpoliticians and journalists talk aboutinstitution building; character buildingthrough self-discipline and abiding bythe law of the land; becoming a ‘model’citizen; learning from native andindigenous values; doing shramadaan(voluntary) work; community buildingand networking among villages andcities; planting trees and protectingforests and water resources; respectingour elders and forefathers; protectingwomen, children, and the disabled;campaigning to eradicate illiteracy;conducting free health camps; boostingproduction of key staples; feeding thehomeless; fostering ‘sadbhaav’(goodwill) in our communities,neighbourhoods, and workplaces; inanother words, healing the soul of theentire nation?

Why are our politicians,intellectuals, journalists not engaged infundamental civil discourses such ascultivating the attributes of self-respect,self-reliance and self-transformation tolive and prosper collectively as a proudnation? Aren’t these values trulyfoundational for any democracy andrepublic to evolve? Why has ourleadership failed to instill self-confidence in our people? Enough ofrevolution, people want change!

Anonymous

I am merely speculating here but aone-party Nepali state seems highlyimprobable. Factors such as geography,ethnic diversity, settlement patterns,wealth inequality, resource scarcity, andgeopolitics may mean that no one groupwill have enough leverage to control thestate for quite some time. Geographyand ethnic divisions are the biggestworry if Nepal does become a one-party

Maoist state. As the comrades showed,mountains favour insurgents. Theparty’s policy seems to be to preemptthis problem by arguing for universalmilitary training for every Nepalicitizen above 18. If every citizen ismade a part of the state and given acommon identity as a soldier of thestate, then the risks from ethnicdivisions may be reversed. But again,going back to what Prashant said, theintention of order is not enough, oneneeds to have the capability to createorder as well. Are the Maoists capableof stopping young officers from joiningmilitias after they finish their armytraining? Can a party that cannot keepits cadres in check keep an entirecitizen army in check?

Battisputali

SUNNY DEBATESSolar power still needs to make abreakthrough in technology in terms ofcost (‘Bring home the sunshine’,Paavan Mathema, #530). The cost ofinstallation is still high and people withlimited income will think twice beforeinstalling it in their houses. The energyfrom solar is no doubt one of thecleanest, but when it comes to disposalof batteries, it is still an issue for theenvironment.

However, in a country withabundant water resources, solar is notthe ultimate answer for providingenergy to industries since it dependson the number of hours of sunshine. If itneeds back up from generators whenthere is no sunshine it does not makesense. Instead hydropower, small andbig, should be advocated since it ismore reliable and less expensive.However, inept and inefficient agenciesand power mafias like the NEA shouldbe disbanded and handed over to theprivate sector, which could manageproduction and distribution well.

Shyam Sharma

I have a solar back-up installed at myhouse and it is working perfectly fine forme. My electricity bills went downconsiderably, compared to when I wasusing inverters. I’m not the techno-savvykind so for me, the bottom line is thatpower cuts are here to stay and I don’twant to stay in the dark without any light.I could get a generator, yes, but who’sgoing to pay for all the diesel itconsumes? Charging batteries from themain line and using inverters consumesmore electricity, which in turn increasesloadshedding. I’m quite satisfied with mysolar power. And as a country, why spendon thermal power from India, when youcan do something locally on your own?Although the initial cost is expensive,there are no bills at the end of everymonth.

sunny

PLASTIC-FREEJust start a nationwide campaign to banplastic bags! (‘Plastic out, students in’,#530). Take your own shopping bags andget plastic out of Nepal. It’s the same inFrance, if you go to a supermarket, thereare no plastic bags available anymore.Only paper bags or carton boxes. This isnot polluting!

Nepal plastic-free? Bravo!Bobo Wolf

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531

Publisher: Kunda Dixit | Editor: Rabi ThapaPublished by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd | Chief Operating Officer: Sunim Tamang | Hattiban, Godavari Road, Lalitpur | GPO Box 7251 Kathmandu

editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5250333/845 Fax: +977-1-5251013 Design: Kiran Maharjan | Marketing: Arjun Karki, Surendra Sharma rachanas@himalmedia.com | Advertorial/features: Ram Krishna Banjara | Subscription: Santosh Aryal santosha@himalmedia.com

Printed at Jagadamba Press | 01-5250017-19 | www.jagadambapr.com

2|EDITORIAL

Q. How much should the minimum wage beincreased by?

Weekly Internet Poll # 531

Q. Should the salaries of bank CEOs be capped?

Weekly Internet Poll # 532. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com

T he budget has come and gone, as has the muchhyped but ultimately disappointing (for all sides)Maoist plenum. With a flurry of international (and

completely pointless) junkets under their ever-stretching belts, our politicians are delaying gettingdown to brass tacks. As the High Level Taskforcecontinues to sift through the bones of constitutionalcontention (with mixed results), we may say at leastsomething is getting done, even though the biggestbattles will be over federal restructuring. But a morepressing headline now looms – the departure of UNMINcome 15 January, 2011.

Integration of the Maoist ex-combatants has beenthe sticking point ever since the peace process began,and is the root of mistrust among the political parties.All manner of numbers have been bandied about, but thereluctance of the Maoists to commit to a figure hasstymied progress. The PLA’s participation at theGorkha plenum has all but convinced themainstreamers that integration is the do-or-die issue.

But criticism from the PLA itself for the party’sinability to decide on integration and rehabilitation, amidsuspicions that it is being used for political gain by theMaoist leadership, should hearten those who lamentedtheir presence at the plenum. This, along with theappointment of retired general Balanand Sharma ashead of the Special Committee Secretariat, providesjust the sort of momentum we need to resolve the majorissues of integration, and could pave the way for asmooth transition once UNMIN leaves.

If we fail to even decide on numbers and transfer the

chain of command to the Special Committee by 15 January,then the departure of UNMIN could lead to chaos. It willencourage the resurgence of hardline factions within theMaoists and the other parties, who will either continue tomake unfeasible demands of the integration process, ordispense with the principle of integration altogether.

Madhav Kumar Nepal is the head of the SpecialCommittee. It is incumbent upon him to step up to theplate and step it up. If he wants to have anything of alegacy at all, then successful integration will prove hehas more cojones than what he has demonstrated sofar as a lame duck prime minister.

STEP IT UP

Total votes: 1,777

KIRAN PANDAY

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531 OP-ED|3

PLAIN SPEAKINGPrashant Jha

he success of any political-constitutional system isbased on four key elements.

To survive, it has to be able tomanage contradictions in society.These could range fromtransactional but unequalrelationships between capital-labour and landlord-tillers to thecompetition between differentpopulation segments forgovernment largesse. For thispurpose, states use coercion whilesimultaneously creatingmechanisms to settle disputes. Ifthe system fails to strike a balance,and weighs in too heavily infavour of one group, it will facechallenges.

Second, the system has toprovide tangible benefits tomultiple constituencies who willthen develop a stake in the largerframework. This involvesengineering an elite compact andgetting those on the periphery tobuy into the idea of the state assomething that will lift them upfrom state of oppression.

Third, politicians need to

or may not have been true, butthere were few left to defend thesystem. The elites hadcharacteristically spread theirbets – keeping channels openwith all sides with a willingnessto swing either way dependingon where power resided at anymoment. The depth (or lack of it)of their conviction was evidentwhen palace loyalists turned intodie-hard republicans in less than

a year. The Maoists did the rest,by convincing a vast majority the‘sarkar’ had to be overthrown, andshowed this was possible byattacking state authority.

These lessons are instructivebecause it is time to ask wherethe 2006 transitional systemstands.

The new arrangement hasdone a better job of addressingdemands than any other previoussystem. Relatively speaking, thereis a degree of peace and calm in

keep an ear to the ground, senseshifts in public opinion, andrespond to changing aspirations.And most importantly, all thepolitical forces need to feellocked in to the constitutionalorder, and follow the rules of thegame. Once they feel there is noalternative, the possibility of asystemic challenge lessens.

The 1990 order fell because itdid not meet all theseconditions. NC and UML failedto sense brewing conflicts in thehills and then responded in atotally ham-handed away, withthe king adding to the mess later.There was little institutionalcoherence between the pillars ofthe constitution.

The discontent among thoseoutside Kathmandu, thoseoutside the Bahun-Chhetri fold,and the poor only grew whenthey perceived the system to besynonymous with open loot forthe Kathmandu-centricestablishment. The pie did notgrow rapidly enough, and wasnot distributed evenly enough.Citizens felt they did not havesecurity, and for most, thenewfound liberty was nottranslating into materialimprovement.

Some of the perceptions may

the districts. Many have called itappeasement, but there is a reasonwhy there has been no Madhesimovement or major ethnicferment over the past two years.The system has accepted thelegitimacy of their issues,co-opted some of their leaders,and promised to institutionalisechanges. There has also been anunprecedented democratisation ofpolitical society and public space

– with newer groups assertingclaim over resources at the locallevel. All of them have a stake inensuring that this framework isnot abandoned for the unknown.

But the problems are all tooapparent. The politicalpolarisation is not merely aMadhav Nepal-Dahal or RamChandra-Dahal battle. It is areflection of the inability of thesystem to reconcile contradictionsbetween political forces thatrepresent different classes and

group interests. The latent angeramong Madhesi and Janjatileaders who see Bahun-Chhetrileaders deliberately draggingtheir feet on the process willalso complicate matters.

Add to this the shrinkingnumbers of those who defendthe 2006 system. It was the fearof the Maoists, and therecognition that monarchicalrule was not sustainable, thatdrove the elites to back thepeace accord. But with themonarchy gone, and the Maoistaura dissipating, the yearningfor strongman rule is back onceagain. At the popular level, thedisdain for politicians isreturning too. If the defining cryacross the country five years agowas for peace, the one universaldemand now is jobs. The failureof the present system to generateemployment is discrediting itthoroughly.

There is no organised forceto fill the vacuum, nor a clearroadmap of what an alternativearrangement will look like. Theonly reason the system lasts isbecause such a large segment ofthe population has secededfrom it – look at thetransnational Nepali proletariat.

All of this means that thecoming failure of Nepal’sexperiment with peace andconstitutionalism may notresult in outright confrontation.But the grammar of anarchy, toborrow Ambedkar’s evocativephrase, is in place.

Better, not good

THIS WEEK

The 2006 system is animprovement, but onlystands because so manyNepalis have seceded from it

T

Hike againNepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the prices of petroleumproducts for the fifth time this year. Petrol now costs Rs 88 perlitre, diesel and kerosene Rs 68 per litre, and a cooking gascylinder costs Rs 1,325. NOC has cited a road tax imposed bythe government and the rise in price of crude oil in theinternational market as reasons for the price hike. NOC has longbeen claiming it is running at a loss – Rs 170 million per month atthe latest count – but sparked controversy in August byattempting to distribute a Rs 19 million bonus to its employees.The decision was quickly withdrawn once the Public AccountsCommittee and the CIAA issued directives to the contrary.

Pascoe visitsUN Under-Secretary-General for PoliticalAffairs B. LynnPascoe held severalhigh-level meetingsafter arriving inKathmandu Fridaymorning for a two-dayvisit.

His meetingsrevolved around the peace process, UNMIN’s exit, and the role ofthe United Nations after UNMIN leaves. Pascoe expressed theUN’s willingness to support Nepal’s peace process afterUNMIN’s tenure ends. While talking to Maoist Chairman PushpaKamal Dahal, he expressed concerns about the issues of armyintegration and constitution writing. Dahal is said to have assuredPascoe of his party’s commitment in both areas.

Pascoe was in Nepal for the second time since the UNSecurity Council decided in September to extend UNMIN’stenure for the final time, until 15 January 2011.

Army objectsNepal Army (NA) has strongly condemned the report of a Frenchepidemiologist that has linked the cholera epidemic in Haiti withthe Nepali peace-keeping forces deployed there. “We stronglycondemn the making of such allegations with no firm evidence orfacts,” NA spokesman Ramindra Chhetri said, adding that thereport was ‘hypothetical’.

Many Haitians believe that the Nepali troops deployed thereare responsible for triggering a cholera outbreak that has killedover 2,000 people. The unpublished report became public after anunnamed source leaked it to AFP. The research conducted bycholera expert Renaud Piarroux has reportedly traced theinfection to Nepali soldiers serving in Haiti.

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #5314|BUSINESS

t’s no secret thatinternational carmakers arekeen to enter the Nepali

market. What’s more interesting ishow Nepali names seem to havecaught the fancy of carmakers aswell. Only a month ago, Fordlaunched an SUV named Everest.Now, Škoda has launched Yeti, a

Yeti comes home

compact SUV, for carbuyers inNepal and across the world.

“Nepal is a relatively smallmarket but it is important to us,”says Oliver Glaser, Sales Directorof Škoda’s InternationalAssembly Projects (picturedabove). “Our actions here areparallel to what we do in India

and have been more successful.”Yeti was launched in India onlytwo weeks ago.

Glaser expressed satisfactionwith Škoda’s partnership withMorang Auto Works (MAW) andthe way Škoda’s brand has beenpresented in Nepal. In its twoyears here, the European carmakerhas been selling the high-endsedans Laura, Octavia. and Fabiain the small car segment. WithYeti, Škoda will enter thelucrative market for SUVs inNepal. “We expect a goodresponse on Yeti. In fact, we soldeight units even before thelaunch,” says Vishnu Agrawal ofMAW. Glaser and Agrawalanticipate selling 100 cars withinthe year.

The sturdy-looking Yeti has aground clearance of 180mm and isfitted with a rough road packageof upgraded shock absorbers, aswell as a protective underbodycoating like all of Škoda’s cars.The SUV gives mileage of 8-10kmson city roads and 12kms on thehighway. The new model willnow be showcased alongsideearlier ones in Škoda’s showroomin Thapathali.

IMIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Bank of the yearNepal Investment Bank received The Bankers Award-2010 fromthe Banker Magazine. This is the fourth time that NIBL has beenhonoured with this award.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Grand entryCG Automobiles has introduced Maruti Suzuki’s new Wagon-RVXI with a roadshow in Kathmandu. The 998cc model has 165mmground clearance and 18.9kmpl fuel efficiency. It is priced at Rs1,921,000 and is available in 6 different colours.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

AnniversaryVaidaya’s Organization of Industries and Trading Houses (VOITH)has entered into its 44th year of operations. VOITH started itsoperations as the authorised distributor of Toyota Motors and nowowns over a dozen industries and business houses.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

For menDabur Nepal has launched PROstyle Dandruff Control Hair Oil formen. It is available in packs of 75ml and 150ml, priced at Rs 40and Rs 75 respectively.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Platinum cheersMcDowell’s No 1 has launched 100 per cent grain-basedMcDowell’s No 1 Platinum whisky. It will be available in 750ml,375ml and 180ml packs, priced at Rs 730, Rs 370 andRs 190 respectively.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Kumari meetsKumari Bank organised its 10th Annual General Meeting andannounced a 22.51 per cent increment in its net profits during thelast fiscal year. The meeting approved a cash dividend of12 per cent to its shareholders.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

NIC growsNIC Bank held its 13th Annual General Meeting. The bank’s netprofits have increased by 42 per cent in the last fiscal year. Themeeting approved distribution of a 26.32 per cent cash dividend toits shareholders.

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531 BUSINESS|5

usiness reporting is getting competitively better in Nepal. Thereare already two broadsheet dailies that focus solely on businessand the economy. Recently, I had a chance to sit down with a

few young reporters and talk about how they might want to practicetheir craft. Here’s a list of what came up:

1. Learn to read, interpret and analyse the basic financial statements –cash flows, profit and loss statements and balance sheets – of acompany. If you can add and subtract, you can pretty much learn allthe accounting that you need to know to do your job.

Few Nepali business reporters seem to know how to take apart acompany’s financial statements, and they do their readers a greatdisservice when they lack this skill. Mastering basic accounting (andthis can be done by taking a course for a month at any institute inPutali Sadak) is one way an ambitious reporter can differentiate herselfwhen reporting on public limited companies.

2. Decide what kind of a reporter you want to be. If you want to betaken seriously, leave the lifestyle reporting to your less ambitiouspeers. Often, I see Nepali journalists being taken for a ride by CEOs andbusiness managers. It’s no use wasting your time interviewingbusiness heads about their villages, their schooling, their favouritegym, the music they listen to, their spouses, their hobbies, their self-reported early struggles, and then using such details as the meat ofyour reporting.

When you ask a business manager to tell his story, his tendency isto put a nice spin on the story to make him a great hero, when theverifiable truth could be utterly boring. Sure, your publication needsthose lifestyle stories to get the advertisements. Still, tread carefully.There is a line between being known for writing only puffery and forgood reporting.

3. Do not rush to ask a banker or an accountant questions related tomacroeconomics (GDP, trade, employment, etc). For macroeconomics,first ask several economists, who may well disagree with one another.Ask them for data and data sources. Ask them to explain theirreasoning, and understand it yourself first. If the economists cannotexplain their reasoning in clear, logical language, then don’t beintimidated: chances are they themselves probably don’t know whatthey are talking about, and are using jargon to fool you. Do not beintimidated by titles, fancy university degrees, and expert knowledge.

You’d be surprised how many so-called experts bluff about topicsthey have no idea about. In any case, your job, as a natural self-learner,is to translate the complicated world of business for your readers. So,push your ‘ask follow-up questions’ button repeatedly until youunderstand what is what.

4. Always ask yourself: how is this story in the interest of the reader?Always try to have that ‘what do the consumers think’ angle. Thishelps break ‘big’ stories down to the level of the ‘ordinary’ individualswho are your readers.

5. Never publish anonymous letters and allegations. In any town,there is no shortage of people who have scores to settle with oneanother. Often, they use you to get even with their enemies. You canadd fuel to the fire, and revel in self-serving wah-wah. Choose a higherroad: focus on your credibility for the long, long term.

6. Never write an entire report based on one person’s remark or a pressconference put out by a company that wines and dines you. Take askeptical approach, dig deeper. Talk to analysts, competitors,suppliers, regulators, and report in ways that you’d be proud of fiveyears from now.

A CEO’s hobbies are no guide tohis company’s business strategy

Businessreporting 101

STRICTLY BUSINESSAshutosh Tiwari

B

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #5316|NATION

SALZBURG, Austria – The worldis debating how to narrow downdifferences among countries andget essential work done on tradeand business and cooperation onimportant matters like climatechange. Meanwhile, the largestparty in parliament here in Nepal,the Unified Communist Party ofNepal (Maoist), is conjuring upways to drive a wedge betweenChina and India, two of Asia’srising and dominant powers.At arecent seminar on ‘The Future ofAsian Integration and Security inthe 21st Century: SharingExperience on Multilateralismand Institution-Building fromEurope’, scholars, foreignministry officials, and expertsfrom Asia, Europe and the USdiscussed on minimising thetension in the South China Sea,narrowing the growing animositybetween China and Japan, andavenues for cooperation inASEAN as well as South Asia. Ofcourse, it was not unusual to seenational positions being restated

or a nation of rote learners, we’resurprisingly articulate speakers. Notso much in English, as generations of

students abroad have found to theirexpense when fresh-faced Aussies andBrits and Americans stand up and air theirhalf-baked thoughts on everything underthe sun simply because they’ve been giventhe floor.

But ask a Nepali to speak in Nepali, andhe (it’s usually a he) will certainly talk.And talk and talk and talk. We’re notsimply talking inaugurations here, wherepoliticians take the podium and beginpontificating on the (political) future ofthe country, regardless of whether theoccasion is the opening of a school, a filmfestival, or a car showroom. Launch,

MY TAKEDamakant Jayshi

by scholars from ‘rival’ countries.But there was a willingness toexplore and debate ideas andhonest attempts to analyse whatails Asia, particularly its south,east and southeast regions (theMiddle East was not discussed).After all, Japan and China, andIndia and China, are still doingbusiness despite existingterritorial disputes.For usNepalis, the growth of ourneighbours – China and India –should be a wake-up call to thefact that we are lagging behind,and seriously. Their economies,growing so robustly, are the envyof the world. Their bilateral trade(expected to exceed US$60billion in 2010) has defied allexpectations. And the party inNepal that is touted as beingstrategically and tactically

brilliant seems not to recognisethe significance of this.

It’s worth recalling aconversation that some formercolleagues and I had with a seniorIndian diplomat last year. “YouNepalis overestimate yourimportance when it comes to tiesbetween India and China,” hetold us. “Nepal does not countwhen it comes to bilateralrelations between my country andChina.”It was a blunt thing to say,but true. It’s foolish to try andput ourselves between the tworegional powers and think we caninfluence their bilateral relationson our account. In which worldare the Maoists living? Lessonshave not been learnt even afterlosing out as a neutral venue forIndia-Pakistan track II diplomacytalks (now the two countries’

interlocutors meet elsewhere).Can we host India-China track IItalks, if at all? Hardly, since thetwo countries are talking directlyand more openly than in the past.Can we do anything to bring themcloser and reap the dividendsfrom their awesome progress? Wecan think about it. The twocountries are talking about how tointensify the process of businessconnectivity, working together atinternational forums like theG20, and presenting a unitedstance on climate change. Butthey are also thinking of workingtogether on projects in othercountries. “We even talked aboutthe possibility of cooperating incertain subjects in othercountries, whether three-party orfour-party collaborative projectsin the economic field as well,”

Against the windImagining we can influence the relationship

between Nepal and China is hubris

said Yang Jiechi, China’s foreignminister, during a visit by India’sNational Security AdvisorShivshankar Menon to China inJuly this year.These projects andareas of third country-collaboration have not beenidentified but the intent is there.This could be crucial to ourefforts to generate energy. Apartfrom hydropower, the twocountries could work together onroads and environmentalconservation in Nepal.We need totalk about trade and economy,jobs, infrastructure building, andhow to get the best out of the twogiant neighbours whose goodwillwe can easily tap into. Instead, weare trying to pit India againstChina. It may only be one party’sstrategy, but since it is the mostpowerful party in Nepal rightnow, it does have an impact. Thisis a futile, and counterproductiveexercise (for us).

“China attaches greatimportance to this relationship(between China and India),”Yangemphasised on that occasion. It’sclear which way the wind isblowing. Instead of going againstit, it would be prudent to go withthe flow.damakant(at)gmail.com

KALAMRabi Thapa

roundtable, meeting, you name it, theNepali speechifier will bust the guts of anyhope you may have had of demarcatingtime, topic or turn.

He’ll never forget to properly addresshis audience at the outset, as ifapologising in advance for his temerity intaking up your time. Sometime later, he’llactually apologise for taking up so muchtime, and promise that he’s all but done.

And much later, he’ll wrap up, the criticalmoment signalled by the familiar, “Merodui sabda…(My two words…)” Whatcheek!

Anyone who has organised an eventinvolving speakers knows just howinfuriating the Nepali speechifier is. Itdoesn’t matter how many speechifiers youhave invited, the result is the same. TheNepali speechifier will stupefy your

Two cents or nonsense?audience and render them, already latein arriving, even more likely to leaveearly.

Why is this? It is that Nepalis reallyhave no sense of time or context, no self-discipline? Is it that they have anexaggerated sense of self-importance, thatthey are so focused on enlarging theirown space that they forget that of others?Or is it just a harmless cultural tic? Doesit really matter if so-and-so divestshimself of a few hundred more words?

Probably not. I’d like to accuse theNepali speechifier of being all talk andno action, his rambling justifying that ofothers, with the collective result that weare perennially unfocused on the task athand. But perhaps it’s just that even as Imarvel at the Nepali facility with thespoken word, I have little patience for itwhen it’s uncalled for. Ergo, I am animpatient, uncultured boor. Fine. Butwhen it’s called for, I say, open thefloodgates! There’s nothing like being inthrall to the gaphadi of the gang, as hedetails (over Royal Stag and sekuwa) theevents of the night before, or that timeten years back in Minnesota whenhe…but I’m going on and on here, andit’s really not the place. Mero dui sabdayahi tungyauchu, dhanyabad.

Let’s get tothe point

F

KIRAN PANDAY

710 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531LIFE TIMES

RU

hen my father, Zdenek Thoma, first came to Manangvillage in 1979, I was just six months old. I listenedto his stories about Manang instead of fairytales and

looked at the photographs he took there very often during mychildhood. So when I finally came to Manang in 2008 I wassomewhat familiar with the place. Carrying a thick pack of myfather’s photographs, I looked for the same people and the sameplaces. It was a great experience to see how this remote mountainvillage had been transformed into a booming tourist hub.

With the exhibition Manang: 30 Years After, my father and Ihope to express the nature of this change. In fact there are manyvillages in Nepal that are not much different now from whatManang was like in 1979. The story of Manang could help Nepalisdecide how such remote areas should or should not be developedin the future.

This photograph, dubbed ‘Little devils’, became quite famous in the CzechRepublic. To begin with, nobody in Manang could recognise the children inthe image. Then a few days later, somebody pointed at the girl at the top ofthe ladder and exclaimed, "This is the didi from the Ghyalchan lodge!"

This came as a surprise to the didi herself, as she had notrecognised herself. She then confirmed that it was her, with her twobrothers. The identity of the boy in the mask remains a mystery.

Manang doesn’t seem to have changed much in 30 years,but it was the tourist trade that saved the village frombeing abandoned by its original inhabitants for the capital.Many returned as tourist entrepreneurs, and the newbuildings haven’t marred Manang’s beauty.

Manang’s memories

...though today one can often seetourists making the rounds.

The prayer wall inside the village is builtto bless all sentient beings…

MICHAL THOMA

Manang: 30 Years After, by Zdenek and Michal Thoma, willbe showing during the Kathmandu International MountainFilm Festival at Kathmandu City Hall (Rastriya SabhaGriha), Exhibition Road. The exhibition will be open to thepublic following the opening ceremony on 9 December at2pm, then every day from 11am to 6pm until 13 December.

W

8|LIFE TIMES 10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531

sfd ;fgf] 7"nf] eGg]

x'“b}g . kl;gfsf] s'g}

/ª / hft klg

x'“b}g . sfd u/]/ vfg

nhfpg' klg x'“b}g .

rf]/]/, 9f“6]/, 5n]/,

n'6]/ vfg kf]

nhfpg'k5{ . hf] hxf“

/x]/ h'g sfd u5{ pm

To;}df /dfpg'k5{ uf}/a

ug'{k5{ / ;dlk{t eP/

ug'{k5{ . sfd g} zlQm

xf], elQm xf] /

d'lQm xf] . sfdsf]

OHht u/f}+, kl;gfsf]

;Ddfg u/f}+ .

g]kfn ;/sf/;"rgf tyf ;~rf/

dGqfno;"rgf ljefu

Kathmandu International MountainFilm Festival 2010, the biggest filmfestival in the country is back, thistime with 62 films from 35countries, on themes of migrationand biodiversity. Till 13 December,Rastriya Sabha Griha, NepalTourism Board, Bhrikuti Mandap,5542544,kimff@himalassociation.org,www.kimff.org

Photo Exhibition by GemunuAmarsinghe. 10 December to 11January, 11am to 2pm, Tuesdaysclosed, Peace Museum, MadanPuraskar Pustakalaya, PatanDhoka

Christmas Bazaar, live music, spitroast barbeque and lots of stalls forfestive shopping. 10 December, 1pmto 6pm, Hotel Summit, Kupondole,5540974, www.summit-nepal.com,Entry: Rs 1650

Expression of Repression, paintingexhibition by Kapil Mani Dixit andSohan Babu Khatri to raiseawareness about HIV/AIDS, dwellingon the theme of ‘nudity’. Till 10December, 10am to 6pm, Nepal ArtCouncil, Babar Mahal

Writing workshop, KathmanduInternational Mountain Festival andQuixote’s Cove is organising a three-

day workshop with ProfessorTerry Gifford, submit poetry orprose with a letter of interest.10 December to 12 December,9.30am to 11am, RastriyaSabha Griha, Bhrikuti Mandap,info@qcbookshop.com,5536974

Art exhibition, paintings by theassociate students ofKathmandu University, Centrefor Art and Design. Inauguration3pm, 12 December, till 19December, 10.30am to 5.30pm,Saturdays closed, ParkGallery, Pulchok, 5522307

5th RSR Beach VolleyballTournament, 17 corporate teamscompete on the sandy beachesof the Trishuli. 10 to 12December, Riverside SpringsResort, Kurintar, 9851094030

Oriental Day, food, music,dance and martial arts fromJapan, Myanmar and thePhilippines. 11 December,12 pm to 8pm, Moksh,Jhamshikhel, 5528362,9841889387, Tickets: Rs 100(free for under-16s)

Under One Sun Festival, livemusic, photo exhibitions and artinstallations. 14 to 17December, 9am to 8pm,Basantapur Darbar Square,www.photocircle.com.np

Screening of Invictus, directedby Clint Eastwood, starringMorgan Freeman and MattDamon. 16 December, 3pm,Martin Chautari, Thapathali,4102027, 4240243

Kumari Lakshan: Layers of Purity,an exhibition of paintings by AdamSwart. 10 to 14 December, 11amto 5pm, Saturdays closed,Kathmandu Contemporary ArtsCentre, Jhamsikhel, 5521120,www.kathmanduarts.org

One-day Rafting in Trishuli,covers two-way transportation,lunch, rafting with safety gadgetsand guides, organised by BuddhaTours and Treks Services.11 December, Buddha Tours andTreks Services, Pulchok,5010775, 5010776, Ticket:Rs1500

Boudha Stupa Restaurant & Cafe,enjoy wood-fired pizza with asuperb view of Boudha stupa andfree wifi, candlelight dinneroptions are also available for theromantics every full moon night.Boudha, 2130681

Kakori at Soaltee Crowne Plaza,Kebabs, curries and more, enjoyIndian food at its best. Everyday7pm to 10.45pm for dinner,Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Tahachal,call 4273999 for reservations

Mike’s Breakfast, huge breakfastsand a never-ending supply ofcoffee amidst a lush gardensetting characterise this café,popular among tourists and localsalike. Naxal, 4424303

Summit Hotel, posh Western-styledining area with candlelight and aromantic night view of the city.Get really busy with the succulent

ribs basket, and add the finishingtouch with a hot Dutch apple pie.Jhamsikhel, 5521810

Singma Food Court, for the bestSingaporean and Malaysiancuisine in town. Pulchok, 5009092and Bhatbhateni, 4411078,foodcourt@wlink.com.np,www.singma.foodcourt.com

New Orleans, offers a wide varietyof western dishes that arescrumptious yet healthy. Jhamel,5522708.

Ramalaya Tea Room, experienceChef Mohit’s creations from Cider-brined Pork Chops to GuavaCheese, also 10% discount on

evening dinners to all NepaliTimes readers when they mentionthis ad. Pani Pokhari, nearJapanese Embassy, for bookingscall 4006589, 4006589,www.rde.com.np

Forever Café, specialising in avariety of steaks and stroganoffs,the café offers carnivorous affairsyou’ll not forget. 7am-10pm,470078

EVENTS

DINING

LIFE TIMES|910 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531

Beat-boxing performances, needless to say, arequite rare in Kathmandu. So when BenjaminStanford aka Dub FX made his south Asiandebut in Nepal last Sunday, it probably shouldn’thave been surprising to have to jostle throughthe crowds to get into 1905, Kantipath.

Those who hadn’t heard of Dub FX mighthave been happy to find it wasn’t just mad vocalbeats and effects. In fact, there was a heavyinfusion of reggae in his music – perhaps whythe organisers, Kgarira.com and Digital OmProductions, had Babin Bajracharya set themood with mellow tunes from Bob Marley as thegrounds began to fill.

Gimme some beats

Aqua Java Zing, soar high on alow budget, buy one cocktail, getone free, buy two hookahs, get onefree, only during happy hours from2pm to 6pm. Ganesh Man SinghRoad, Thamel

Le Bistro Restaurant & Bar, theoutdoor dining area evokes a greatatmosphere for a night of drinkswith friends and family. Thamel,4701170

1905 Restaurant, feast on roasteddelights within this convertedaristocratic residence. Walledambience and green surroundingsmake it an oasis within the city,Kantipath, 4215068

Dhokaima Cafe has a new menu,try the Blackened NorwegianSalmon and Grilled Shrimp Ajillo.Patan Dhoka, 5522113

Waffles promotion at The Loungefrom 12.30pm to 4.00pm,Vegetarian Buffet at The Cafeevery Tuesday from 6.30pm, andArabian Nights at The Cafe everyFriday from 6.30pm at HyattRegency, Boudha, 4491234,4489362

The Kaiser Cafe Restaurant & Bar,enjoy a pleasant BBQ lunch in theambient settings of The Garden ofDreams. Every Sunday, 12pm to3pm, Kaiser Mahal, Thamel, Rs1200 per person, 4425341

The Fulbari Resort & Spa,experience luxury holiday at itsbest, enjoy Pokhara as neverbefore. Fulbari Resort & Spa,Pokhara, 4461918, 4462248

Club Himalaya, for amazingmountain views and refreshingweekend escapades, specialpackage available for Nepalis andexpatriates. Nagarkot, 4410432

Grand Norling Hotel, countrysideweekend package offering suiteroom, swimming, gym, massage,and discounts on other facilities.Gokarna, 4910193

GETAWAYS

The crowd cheered as Dub FX made hisentry, accompanied by the enthusiastic FlowerFairy, who performed alongside. With noinstrument other than his own vocals, Dub FXbegan live looping to create songs for hisaudience. The crowd couldn’t sing along to thecompositions, except maybe to Dub FX’s ownrendition of ‘Jack and Jill’, but were tapping theirfeet, moving their heads and finally, dancing tohis beats. A great night for Kathmandu’s youth,though they may have missed out on the virtuosotricks that pure beat-boxing can really impresswith.PM

10|HAPPENINGS

COLOURFUL STROKES: Assorted Motifs, a group exhibition of paintingsby Yuki Shirai, Chirag Bangdel, Shailesh Bhatta and AnuragBangdel,opened at Chai Chai Cafe and Gallery, Jhamel, on Friday.

KIRAN PANDAY

ROYAL VISIT: Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck, Bhutan's RoyalGrandmother, arrives at Tribhuvan International Airport, Sunday. Shevisited monasteries in Kathmandu and left for Lumbini on Thursday.

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531

KIRAN PANDAY

ROCK INSTALLMENTS: Fans cheer as the rock band Cobweb performsduring the launch of their seventh album ‘Project Namaste’ at i-Club,Darbar Marg, on Monday.

WEEKEND WEATHERby NGAMINDRA DAHAL

FRI SAT S U N

23-3 23-2 22-2

KATHMANDU

WEEKEND WEATHERby NGAMINDRA DAHAL

KATHMANDU

The most striking thing about this week’s weatherwas the quiet collision of two opposite fronts overNepal’s skies. The frontal arm of the seasonaleasterly low-pressure trough, which originated inthe eastern South China Sea, extended upto theeastern half of Nepal, where it met the westerlyfront. But the dominant westerly frontquickly pushed back the hazy clouds to bring backthe sunny days. The satellite image on Thursdayafternoon shows a merger of the easterly front withthe cyclone over the Bay of Bengal, which has nofurther impact on Nepal’s clear weather. The lowfoggy sky over the western Tarai belt will get denserthis week. Expect sunny days, clear nights withcolder mornings over the weekend.

GREEN SCENE

n most major hospitals inNepal, at any given timethere are about half a dozen

patients admitted withorganophosphate poisoning.Indeed this is the most commonform of poisoning in Nepal andmuch of South Asia, especiallySri Lanka. Many patients areyoung women who have tried to

Preventable poisoning

I

DHANVANTARIBuddha Basnyat, MD

“I would mop the house, collect the garbage, andhurl it through the window onto the road or the openspace in front of my house, thinking that my housewas now clean. These days I collect the garbagefrom the road as it brings me cash,” says NirmalaShakya, vice president of the Tole EnvironmentImprovement Group in Dharan.

Shakya, a housewife, has been involved in aclean environment campaign for eight years, eversince she received training in waste managementand composting. She does not use plastic bags andtakes a jute bag with her when she goes shopping.She collects food wrappers to weave them intodhaki, dustbins, bags, and purses. She has dug twopits in her backyard to prepare compost fromdegradable household waste. Her group, which has105 members, runs a recycling factory.

Purna Kala Limbu chairs the SrijansheelEnvironment Women Group, which has recentlybuilt toilets for 51 households with the objective ofmaking their area open-defecation free, incollaboration with Dharan Municipality. Says Limbu,

Green ladies

KIRAN PANDAY

“We use jute bags with the message ‘don’t useplastic bags’ printed on them.”

Tetra Environment Group has 503 women asmembers, and has launched an awarenesscampaign against littering. President Dan KumariMaskey explains that the group also preparescompost.

Radha Gahatraj of Manakamana EnvironmentGroup has been making cash out of trash, too. Sheweaves bags and dhaki from food wrappers, anduses the money from sales for the group’scampaigns – and sometimes to buy vegetablestoo.

There are 33 environmental groups in Dharan,with about 3,500 members. One member of eachgroup is represented in the Dharan MunicipalityEnvironment Coordination Committee. Thecommittee buys the garbage collected by thesewomen’s groups, though garbage collection hasbeen hampered by a shortage of manpower.

The coordination committee has an inspectionteam that monitors the city, and with the help of the

women’s groups has becomemore effective. Shishir Shresthaof the Dharan MunicipalityEnvironment and Social WelfareDivision says the areas wheresuch groups are active are clean.

About 40 tonnes of garbageare generated daily in Dharan, halfof which is dumped into the SeutiRiver. The municipality has fourgarbage collection vehicles andsixty workers, and spends aboutRs 10 million rupees annually.“Women’s environment groupshave been doing what themunicipality should have beendoing,” Shrestha says.Sita Mademba in Dharan

suchas datura, deadlynightshade (pic), and mandrake.Ironically, the word atropinecomes from Atropos, one of thethree Fates in Greek mythology,who decides the manner of aperson’s death. In the case oforganophophate poisoning,atropine is a life-saving antidote.

Organophosphate pesticidesinhibit the natural destructionof an enzyme calledacetylcholine in the humanbody, which then sets off thecascade of secretionssummarised by the abovemnemonic. Organophosphate isnow also classified in the Westas a major risk for bioterrorism,especially after the sarin(organophosphate) gas attacks inthe Tokyo suburbs in 1994 and1995. Victims complained that“their world went black”,followed by all the symptoms ofSLUDGE.

The tragedy oforganophosphate poisoning inSouth Asia could be preventedin large measure if there werepolitical will. But as long as ateenager who has fared badly inher SLC exams can go to a generalstore and easily buyorganophosphate pesticides, wewill continue to witness thesepreventable tragedies.

kill themselves because they hada quarrel with their husband or

could not get along withtheir in-laws.

The local names ofthese organophosphate

compounds arenuvan,metacid,dalf,

andsuchlor. These

are pesticides thatare all too readilyavailable fromshops in Nepal.Consideredessential by themodern Nepali

farmer, thesepesticide compounds are deadlywhen ingested by a human being.Medical students use themnemonic SLUDGE (salivation,lacrimation, urine incontinence,diarrhoea, gastrointestinal crampsand emesis or vomiting) to helpthem remember the varied effectsof this pesticide in a patient.

These symptoms can be fataldepending on the amountingested and just how promptlytreatment was started. The mostessential chemical used to treatorganophosphate poisoning isatropine, which is derived fromplants from the Solanaceae family

SITA MADEMBA

SOCIETY|1110 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531

ri Lankan war photographerGemunu Amarasinghe sawhis country's conflict up

close. Through his lens herecorded the horrors of a war andits cost for the country'scivilians. “The common people of SriLanka went through a lot,”saysAmarasinghe. “They were lostand had no protection.” Thirty ofthe most poignant images of theSri Lankan war taken since 1995will be on exhibit at the MadanPuraskar Pustakalaya in PatanDhoka for a month, startingFriday.

“I want to depict whathappened from the victim’spoint of view,” explainsAmarasinghe. “It is importantthat we acknowledge them andgo beyond recognising them justas numbers in the news.”

One needs a strong heart tolook at these pictures. Titled‘People In Between’, theexhibition tells a painful storywith every image. The futility ofwar, and the destruction andpain it inflicts on the innocentsis evident throughout.Amarasinghe’s pictures serve toremind us that it is the commonpeople who pay the price,regardless of who wins.

Amarasinghe’s pictures arearranged down the middle of ahall that houses a permanentexhibition of photographs fromthe trilogy ‘A People War’, whichdocuments the human cost ofthe Nepal conflict. Thejuxtaposition of the twocollections show us how imagesof suffering are universal.

Says Kunda Dixit, the editorof ‘A People War’, “The picturesfrom Nepal are of a class war.Gemunu's photographs show ushow much more brutal an ethno-separatist war can be, makingreconciliation and the healingprocess much more difficult.”

Sri LankanphotojournalistGemunuAmarasinghedrawsattention tothe humancost of hiscountry'sinternalconflict

The wars within

Sumitra Kumari, centre, mourns for her husband, killed bysuspected Tamil Tigers in June 2006 at the remote hamletof Maitreepura. Fourteen construction workers wereabducted and 12 executed.

Female Tamil Tiger combat instructor during compulsorymilitary training for women recruits in the village of Udayanagarin May 2006. The recruitment blurred the line between civiliansand combatants.

A child hangs on to her father's sarong in a church garden in the eastern coastal village ofMankerni in July 2006. Dozens of villagers fled their homes as fears grew of an all-out war.

Hundreds of internally displaced ethnic Tamils travel in tractorsdisplaying white flags to refugee camps in the northeast town ofValaichenai in January, 2007. Thousands of civilians fled thearea after fighting intensified.

Gemunu Amarasinghe was a photographer with theAssociated Press in Sri Lanka. Here he poses withsome of the photographs from his exhibition, ‘People InBetween’, which opens in Kathmandu on Friday.

‘People In Between’Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, Patan Dhoka10 December-10 January11am-4pm, open all days except Tuesday

A Tamil boy flies a kite at a camp for the internally displaced inthe eastern town of Kiran in February 2007. Intensified fightingforced thousands of civilians to flee their homes in areascontrolled by the Tigers.

S

S

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #53112|TOURISM

here has always been an easyassumption that whenever thegovernment of Nepal announces one

big venture, some brewing misadventure issimultaneously ensuring it will flop,impressively. Take tourism. When we lookback on Visit Nepal Year ’98 now, it seemslaughable to think the state imagined it couldpull it off just as the Maoist insurgency hadbuilt up a head of steam. When we lookforward to Nepal Tourism Year 2011, too,alarm bells begin to ring. If politics issomewhat brambly, then the economy iscaught irretrievably within it. Is the tourismsector really hoping to welcome a million

Following the KarnaliNepal’s silverlining runs thelength of thecountry

tourists next year? How has it prepared,barring a smattering of promotional materialand a hideous new gate at the internationalairport? If anything, the chaos of Lukla andthe declining lure of the road-boundAnnapurna Circuit don’t promise muchfor 2011.

TEXT by RABI THAPAPHOTOS by GORAKH BISTA

ccess is the devil that threatens to wreck man’sbest-laid plans for Humla. Simikot airport has

recently been surfaced, but flights from Nepalganjor Surkhet are notoriously unreliable. “Upto 30-35per cent of tourists have to return,” concedes SNVTourism Advisor Mim Hamal. Flights from Jumla,once operated by Nepal Airlines, have long beendiscontinued. But Hamal insists this is the onlyway forward, as weather conditions between Jumlaand Humla are more in sync and if flights do notmaterialise, there is always the option of analternative trek to Rara Lake or walking for five daysto get to Simikot.

Simikot doesn’t have any road access either. Thedistrict hasn’t even been able to decide which wayit wants to be connected to the China border, withthe result that limited resources are alternatelychannelled into excavating roads from either Hilsato Simikot (85km, see pic, with surfaced road at top

But there is a silver lining, and it runsthe length of Nepal. Many will have heard ofthe Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) by now, andknow that in Nepal, it means an east-westtrekking trail from Kanchenjunga to ApiHimal. The mere idea can spark wistfuldismissiveness. “160 days? I wish!” But look

closer, and you’ll see the GHT is not (thoughit can be) meant to expand lungs and disbandcareers in one six-month burst. It’s dividedinto 10 sections across 16 districts – in theregions surrounding Kanchenjunga, Makalu-Barun, Everest-Rolwaling, Langtang-Helambu, Manaslu-Ganesh, Annapurna-Mustang, Dolpa, Rara-Jumla, Humla, and theFar West – that can be tackled in any numberof permutations. Think of the myriadcommunities living along and around the1,700km route that could benefit from aninflux of teahouse and camping tourists, andyou’ll begin to understand that the GHT isfar more than just 2011’s flavour.

This year, I was fortunate enough to joina group of journalists and tour operators on afortnight’s trip to the Humla section ofNepal’s GHT with SNV, the Nepal Trust, andFirante Treks. The timing (at the end of themonsoon) was tricky, and highlighted thefirst and most obvious problem the new breedof GHTers might encounter this far west. Wespent four days moping around inBirendranagar, Surkhet, waiting for the skiesto clear there and up in Simikot, Humla’sdistrict headquarters. We appreciated thegenuine attractions of Surkhet (a green valley,

T

on the Chinese side of the Karnali) or along themuch less populated Lapcha to Simikot route(55km), depending on which constituency managesto loosen the state’s purse-strings.

Eventually, the whole region should be servicedby roads, but for now it would make sense to focuson one uninterrupted link from the northern borderto the district headquarters. Unfortunately, Humlacurrently has two incomplete sections snakingdown from the border, of limited utility for mostof its inhabitants. Quizzed about whether it madesense to promote a trail that might eventually beusurped by a road, à la Annapurna Circuit, SNV’sCommunication Officer Sanjib Chaudhary saysthat access can only be a good thing, especiallyfor Indians travelling to and from Kailash.Firante Trek’s Janga Bahadur Lama is not worried,however: “It’ll take at least 20 years for this road tobe built. Maybe more.”

Island Humla A

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531 TOURISM|13

umla has long been considered the gateway to sacred Mt. Kailash in Tibet.Thousands of pilgrims visit the mountain and the huge lakes, Mansarovar and

Rakshas Tal, which give rise to the Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej, and the Karnali.But Mt. Kailash is also part of a fragile landscape containing multiple ecosystems

that host a number of endemic, endangered and relic species, as well as Buddhist,Bon po and Hindu communities that farm, rear livestock, and trade for a living. Toconsider Humla a mere gateway is to miss the bigger picture. In working towardsconservation, sustainable use, and livelihood improvement over the 31,000square kilometres of the Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation Initiative (KSLCI),ICIMOD is living up to its mandate – integrated mountain development andtransboundary cooperation.

With support from UNEP and in collaboration with lead partners in China, Indiaand Nepal, ICIMOD's Environmental Change and Ecosystem Services team hascome up with a conservation strategy for the region. This identifies gaps, majorissues such as climate change, and the responses of local communities as well asflora and fauna. Long-term environmental monitoring (for instance through theestablishment of meteorological and hydrological weather stations) will be animportant component of the project, says Krishna Prasad Oli, regional coordinatorfor the project.

Oli warns that though the impact of tourists is low now, if the Great HimalayaTrail picks up then familiar problems – solid waste management, firewood use,littering, lifestyle impacts – will have to be addressed, along with issues of intellectualproperty and biopiracy in a region that has great scientific, economic andcultural potential.

He is keenly aware of the difficulties associated with transboundary cooperationin such a geopolitically sensitive region. But the groundwork is being laid, he says:"We have had tremendous cooperation from and valuable exchanges with scientistsfrom India, China and Nepal. We have to begin with science, and hopefully the workwe do will be the basis of policies that will guarantee the sustainability of thetransboundary Kailash sacred region as a whole."

the temple ruins of Kakrebihar, andwetlands), but what we were really thankfulfor was the eventual clearing of the heavens.

Humla is one of the biggest, remotest andpoorest districts in Nepal. It’s a land ofextremes. Like most classic treks in Nepal,our Humla circuit offered a whole range ofnatural and cultural highlights. It took usfrom monsoonal Hindu midlands to aridBuddhist reaches akin to the Tibetan plateau,and the isolated Limi Valley. Even Nepalisaccustomed to walking up and down hillytrails will find Humla something of arevelation, not least in transforming theperceptions gleaned from the media of abarren, impoverished district. The reality isworth travelling to see across the seasons, inlush green and in wintry white.

The SNV-led project to establish the GHT,which overlaps with the 162-day trekdetailed by Robin Boustead in The GreatHimalaya Trail: A Pictorial Guide, will beofficially certified by the government by theend of 2010. But SNV, the GHT’s co-funders(UK Aid, and UNWTO in west Nepal) and itslocal partners (Nepal Trust and EmpoweringWomen in Nepal, in Humla) know all toowell that designating an upper and lower GHTand promoting it are just part of an overallstrategy. It’s not enough to have tourists readyfor the trail. The trail has to be ready for them,if one is to move beyond camping expeditionsthat too often bypass local communities.

Hoping to replicate the success ofteahouse treks in the Annapurna and Everestregions, SNV and its local partners have beenworking to develop small to mediumenterprises along the trail to provide food,lodging, and other trekking services. In 2009and 2010, 50 small businesses in the pilotGHT sections of Humla and Dolpa received

tourism-related training, covering everythingfrom the importance of boiling water fordrinking to dealing with altitude sickness.District Development Committees havereceived training in tourism planning andmanagement, and Tourism DevelopmentCommittees have been set up. Trainees werealso taken to the Annapurna region for anexposure visit.

Humla’s tourism infrastructure is stillpretty basic. But one can only imagine howthe first lodge in Namche started out. It’s nosmall matter for Humli locals to venture intosetting up teahouses on this relativelyunfrequented trail. We were grateful for theirgumption in undertaking to feed our group of15 dalbhat, nettle soup, buckwheat pancakes,thukpa, and noodle soup. Rooms wereavailable too, all the way to Hilsa at the border,though we camped throughout (as neitherfood nor lodging is commercially available inthe Limi Valley yet).

It’s early days, but clearly changes are afoot.As we passed newly fashioned wooden hutsalong the trail, men called out to us, offeringus crunchy Humli apples and bottles of Coke.Back in Kathmandu, SNV Tourism AdvisorMim Hamal was upbeat when asked whetherthe training provided had made a difference.“Last year they were offering thirsty touristsbeer, early in the morning. This year it’s apples,water and Coke. They’re learning how todeal with tourists…if we get this right, andother kinds of development come to theKarnali region, it will eventually feed the restof Nepal.”www.greathimalayatrail.org

s we banked to land at 2,900m, Simikotspread out below us on a flattened

hilltop amidst a colour-checked harvestexpanse of fields. It was past midday, butwe were raring to go, up the old noon ra oon(salt and wool) trading route to Tibet, or atany rate to the border. Soon we weretrudging along the muddy trail between thetowering green monoliths of the nettle-infested Hindu midlands, accompanied bythe roaring quicksilver of the magnificentKarnali. We passed occasional tightclusters of mud-packed, flat-roofed houseswhere women with heavy gold and silverjewellery embroidered with colourful beadsbelied the obvious poverty. Thakuri men ledflocks of long-haired, impressively hornedgoats down the trail to Simikot, many ahome’s Dasain treat.

Destination HumlaAs we approached Hilsa and the

northwestern border in the following days,the landscape became drier, and the context,Buddhist. After the desolate views aroundHilsa, we made a circuit back southeast viathe Limi Valley, through amazing red rockscapes haunted by blue sheep and hugevultures (pic, left). The three medieval stonesettlements of Til, Halji and Jang were asisolated as anything we had seen. Then wepassed the aquamarine Tshom Tsho, a shockin the dessicated high-altitude landscape,to nestle in the glacial valley below the NyaluPass. Finally, we crawled up to 5,000m, downpast Selima Tsho, and into an astonishinglyverdant birch and pine forest chittering withbirds and a campsite in the shadow of amassive rock face, before rejoining the trailto Simikot above the Salli River.

A

The scienceof Kailash

H

nepalitimes.com'Becoming Humli', #476

14|FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531

Richha Aryal in Nagarik, 9 December

Five months since they were introduced to thecapital, electric buses stillaren’t being used for localtransportation. Because of thelong and tiresome procedure toobtain route permits, it will bethree more months before thebuses can ply on city roads,Nepal Electric VehicleIndustries (NEVI) has said.

NEVI imported one electricclosed-door bus, one open-door bus, and an electric carfor testing from China. More than two dozenorganisations and individuals have shown interest

Interview with NC President Sushil Koirala inHimal Khabarpatrika, 2-15 December

Himal Khabarpatrika: Why did the three big parties fail to reach aconsensus after several rounds of talks?Sushil Koirala: The Maoist leaders appear positive while in talksbut never keep their word. The party has yet to become a civilianparty as they have a craving for combatants and weapons. Wewant the past agreements to be implemented. The Nepali Congressdoes not care about who their principal enemy is. It has been actingresponsibly and wants peace to prevail in the country. For this,there is no alternative to talks, consensus, cooperation and unity,as Girijababu said. Therefore, the Maoists are responsible for thedeadlock, and UML has part of the blame, too. We supported UMLto form a government. After resigning from government, UML shouldhave automatically supported NC in forming a new government.

But the Maoists hold NC responsible for the failure to reach aconsensus.Who can judge this? It doesn’t mean it’s true just because theMaoists say so. We are ready to reform if need be. We are seriousabout finding a way out and moving the country forward. It’s unjustto blame NC for the mistakes of others.

Some say NC wasn’t careful enough while signing the 12-pointagreement with the Maoists, which has led to this situation. Is thiswhat NC has realised?This is not true. Incidents of murder, violence, terror, vandalismand atrocities prevailed before the agreement. At least this is notthe situation now. As an effort to end the conflict, the Maoists weredragged to where they are today. Is this the mistake of NC? Trust isthe biggest thing. All should adopt democratic values. The countrycan move forward only after the constitution is written, and go for afresh mandate. The Maoists have always used intimidation as abargaining tool. They obstruct the peace process and threaten torevolt. The management of PLA combatants is the important task incompleting the peace process. The paramilitary structure of theYCL should be dismantled to convince people that the Maoistshave changed. You cannot rule by suspending a sword above one’shead.

The Maoists seem to feel cornered and have threatened to revolt. Isthe country heading towards confrontation?The Maoist threat to revolt is just muscle flexing. After enjoying thefreedom of democracy and other facilities, I don’t think they will goback to confrontation, it is impossible. World history has proventhat those who flirt with democratic values and norms neversucceed.

NC and the Maoists have come together demanding a newparliamentary session. Is there any agreement between them?It is not good to have a caretaker government run the country. Theprime minister too has been stressing the need to take a decisionas early as possible. This is why we have called for a parliamentarysession. It is just a coincidence that the Maoists are also demandingthe same.

Can a session of parliament find a solution without parties reachingan agreement first?The parliament is the place to discuss problems and find solutions.UML and the Maoists have been saying consensus can be reachedonly after the withdrawal of Paudel’s candidacy for the prime minister.That’s not true. The withdrawal of the candidacy will only create afurther void. It will not help in constitution writing and the peaceprocess. If we withdraw the candidacy, we hand over power to theMaoists. UML also has no alternatives. Either UML and the Maoistsshould join forces or UML should help NC. We are waiting.

Editorial in Naya Patrika, 5 December

When the Maoists joined the peace process, theUnited Nations Mission in Nepal was set up tooversee, monitor, and rehabilitatethe Maoist combatants. As themandate of UNMIN comes to anend, it seems its mission hasbecome an impossible one.

When the rebel Maoists andthe seven-party alliance signed the12-point agreement and theComprehensive Peace Accord(CPA), UNMIN was invited toNepal. It is now compelled toleave the country withoutachieving its objectives. Theseven-party alliance and theMaoists needed UNMIN forverification, registration of combatants, and thestorage of weapons. However, the Maoists andother political parties could not reach anagreement on the basic modality of integrating thecombatants. So the mediator, UNMIN, seems tohave run out of business.

The state has had a lot of complaints againstUNMIN. It has been blamed for taking decisions infavour of the combatants, having no control overthem, and working as a spokesperson of the

“We are waiting” UNMIN exit Maoists. There was a dispute on the extension ofUNMIN’s mandate for the seventh time, but theSecurity Council approved a four-monthextension. The recent visit of B. Lynn Pascoe,Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations forPolitical Affairs, also underlines the fact that thisis the last UNMIN extension. In this situation,people are curious to know how the process ofintegration and the peace process will continue.

If there was no need for UNMIN to mediate inthe integration of the combatants,why did the political parties andthe Maoists invite it to Nepal? If itwas needed, then how canUNMIN’s exit be justified whenthe peace process and integrationof the combatants are stillunresolved? Is there no need toexplain why UNMIN is being sentback by the concerned parties? Itis not the failure of UNMIN to beleaving without achieving itsobjectives, it is the failure of thesignatories of the CPA. It is notdue to UNMIN’s failure that PLA

integration could not happen, it is due to the lackof honesty of the political parties. The governmentseems to be in a hurry to send back UNMIN by allmeans but is talking about seeking economic andtechnical support from the UN. We can’t yet tellwhat effect the government’s decision to send backUNMIN will have on the relations between Nepaland the UN. It would not be wise to make haste insending back UNMIN before deciding what willhappen once it is gone.

in operating the 14-seater closed-door bus, ManagingDirector of NEVI Narayan Prasad Bhusal said.

“It’s a long process. The buyer has to form acommittee first and then obtain membership of the

Transport EntrepreneursAssociation. If they recommendus to the TransportManagement Office, it will setroutes and issue us a permit,”he said.

The buses can run for100kms when fully charged.The batteries, which cost atleast Rs 100,000, don’t need tobe changed for two years. TheTransport Management

Department says that apart from steep climbs, thesebuses run well on normal roads.

Electric buses wait for permits

“Don’t worry, all the drivers and helpers have gone abroad for training!”Board: NoticeSuitcase: PascoeBag: UNMINCar: Combatant integration and rehabilitation

Batsyayan in Kantipur, 6 December

KIRAN PANDAY

INTERNATIONAL|1510 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #531

CANCÚN, México, Dec 8, 2010 – Whilenegotiators in Cancún are struggling to makeprogress, there is something interestinghappening in the world. And, it is good news.Countries have started to recognise and actupon the economic value in meeting thedemand for green technology.

As a result there is a ‘Green Race’emerging towards a more resource efficienteconomy. This presents huge opportunitiesfor national and international economieswhich are recognised not only by businessesbut also by countries.

More and more countries are taking noteof this Green Race and are beginning toparticipate with serious ambition. Take forexample the recent speech by US EnergySecretary Steven Chu. He labelled thesuccess of China and other countries in cleanenergy industries a new ‘Sputnik Moment’,which requires the United States to mobiliseits innovation machine to compete in theglobal race for the jobs of the future.

“When it comes to innovation, Americansdon’t take a back seat to anyone – and wecertainly won’t start now,” said Secretary Chu.“From wind power to nuclear reactors to high-speed rail, China and other countries aremoving aggressively to capture the lead.Given that challenge, and given the enormouseconomic opportunities in clean energy, it’stime for America to do what we dobest: innovate.”

The European Union, under the direction

of new ClimateC o m m i s s i o n e rConnie Hedegaard,has also changedtheir approach toclimate change. Theyare now puttingforward the GreenRace arguments – theEU should act onclimate change toprotect its economicinterests, jobs andeconomic growth.This is a clear shiftfrom the ‘moralcrusade’ for globalclimate actions which sidelined the EU atCOP15 in Copenhagen.

Leveraging new technology During the next 40 years, global population isexpected to increase to 9 billion. Accordingto the International Energy Agency (IEA),reducing carbon emissions effectively willrequire investments in low-carbontechnologies of approximately 750 billiondollars per year by 2030, and more than 1.6trillion dollars per year from 2030 to 2050.

About 70 per cent of the reductions neededcould be achieved with existing technologies,but there is also a requirement to create newtechnologies. At the current rate, global low-carbon technologies are not progressing fastenough to keep up with the challenges of globalclimate change.

With this urgency in mind I must admit to

being somewhat puzzled to see that in Cancúngovernments are debating a new internationaltechnology mechanism to help transfer anddeploy technologies to developing countriesand ignoring the global solution already inplace – it’s called business.

We develop, deploy and transfertechnologies on a massive scale every day.Governments should try to further our abilityto do this rather than try to replace or duplicatethe work business is doing. Currentnegotiations should aim to enhance thissystem and to ensure that there are specificincentives put in place so that the poorestcountries can benefit from these investments.

Trillions of dollars are needed to achievethe goals of emissions reductions andstabilisation of the climate; nevertheless, it isnot a lack of funds that is holdinginvestment back – but mobilising financing

dollars into circulation.

What needs to happen The leading economies of the world have‘seen the writing on the wall’ – if they want tobe a leading economy tomorrow, they must beable to supply resource-efficient, non-pollutingsystems, products and services today.

To succeed, a transformation of domesticmarkets is needed to build demand,capabilities and scale. This level of changecan only be achieved in a new partnershipbetween governments and business. Marketforces alone are not strong enough to achievesuch massive transformation. We need helpfrom supportive regulatory frameworks tostimulate demand for new products andservices. During COP 16, the World BusinessCouncil for Sustainable Development(WBCSD) released a report titled “Innovatingfor Green Growth: Drivers of Private SectorRD&D”.

The report demonstrates that the GreenRace between countries and companies offerssignificant opportunities for businesses toinvest in the fast-growing, low-carbontechnology market. It offers suggestions togovernments on how to leverage research,development and demonstration (RD&D) todrive private sector investments.

Focusing on these recommendations willhelp ensure acceleration of innovative low-carbon technologies that will be the foundationof any global agreement.

Countries will ultimately determine theplaying field, but they cannot achieve successwithout business as the partner who providesthe bulk of solutions. That isn’t to saybusiness can continue to sit idly by. Theprivate sector has been lacking in action as aresult of the financial crisis. When it’s giventhe appropriate triggers, business must andwill spring to life.

Björn Stigson is President of theWorld Business Council for SustainableDevelopment. (IPS/TerraViva)

Stimulate the green raceto tackle climate changeBJÖRN STIGSON

10 - 16 DECEMBER 2010 #53116|BACK SIDE

ww

w.n

epal

itim

es.c

omIS

SN18

14-

2613

CDO Regd No 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No 09/066/67

Corruption in the time of choleraThe Federal Kleptocratic

Republic of Nepal shouldput in a new bid for

Transparency International toreconsider our nation’s rankingsin the World Corruption Index.We are actually much morecorrupt than we give ourselvescredit for. Where else in theworld do taxi drivers clog the citystreets to strike for the right totamper with their meters? Weneed to act quickly, however,because India is sure to surgeahead with the $40 billiontelecom scandal involving aminister who gave 3G contracts tofavourites.

But we are off to a good start.When Lukla airport was shutdown last month for 10 days dueto bad weather, airline check-instaff charged $500 or more tosneak passengers ahead of the

measures to have safe drinkingwater in Nepal as well? Cash inon the publicity.

Still licking his wounds from theGorkha Plenum, The Awesomeis now trying to woo ThePhysician in order to sidelineThe Doctor. Even though PKDgot his party to declare India The#1 Enemy, he is behaving as ifhis real enemy is BRB. He has metMBK repeatedly to forge analliance. After all, there is nosubstantial diff between thepapers presented by PKD andMBK to the Plenum, whereasthere is a deep ideological andpersonal rift with BRB. The onlytrouble for ChairmanFearsomeness is that he has lostthe trust of other political leadersand even within his party, he isknown as someone who says onething and does another. We haveit on good authority that nowCom Kiran wants PKD to give allhis commitments in writing.

With the CentCom meetingpostponed again, Com Baburamis in campaign mode, trying tobuild up support within theparty. The Palungtar Confunderlined his weaker supportbase within the party becausePKD’s clout is bolstered by hiscontrol over the extortionapparatus. BRB is trying tocounter this with the force of hispragmatic ideas, but he doesn’tstand a chance when it is moneythat talks.

The PKD camp, however, iselated by rumours in the Indianpress of the recall of the Indianambassador. They are preparing tocelebrate this as a major victoryfor not just the party but for theChairman’s anti-Indian‘Prachanda Path’. Hacks in Delhisympathetic to the Yechury-Karatline seem to be feeding leaks inthe Indian media about a majorrift within a fractious SouthBlock on India’s current Nepalpolicy of keeping the Baddies outof power by hook or crook.

PKD’s offer to let RCP become PMhas the NC leader salivating. Andlike the Pavlov Effect, justdangling a post has madekangresi factionalism erupt allover again. Awesome understandsthe NC better than the NCunderstands itself.

Kingji came back much moreenthused from his India trip thistime. The meeting with QueenSonia and the BJP seems to havegone well. But the message wasthe same everywhere: no flirtingwith theBaddies, andno rockingthe boat.What boat?

ass(at)nepalitimes.com

queue. The army’s helicoptersended up ferrying thousands oftourists, but even here passes weresold in black. Given our skills inmaking hay while the sun shines,our earnings from tourism in 2011should surpass all past records.

The Nepal Army seems ready todeclare war on France, given itsvehement reaction to the report byRenaud Piarroux, the Frenchpublic health specialist wholinked the Haiti cholera epidemicto the septic tanks of the Nepalipeacekeeping base there. We havenothing to hide: Nepal hasfrequent cholera epidemics andthe ‘El Tor’ strain of the bacillusVibrio cholerae found in Haiti isendemic to South Asia. Why notjust admit that cholera was animport from Nepal, and get onwith treating the sick not just inHaiti, but also take preventive