ISSUE 14
JANUARY 2011 Rs. 50
Page 12 S E IV T C E P S R E P FRESH
Page 28 ? Y E H T O D R O ... IE L STATS DON'T URE Page 35 1 T A E F O T O H P L IA C E P S BEING NEPALI January 2011
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EDITORIAL Y! Issue 14 JANUARY 2011 ON COVER:
What's in a Team? Everything. Although I say with conviction that I'm prone to working independently rather than relying on somebody else, this has often led to stretching myself thin. My problem is that I have zero tolerance for inefficiency and thus, I prefer to take on tasks myself. That way if anything goes wrong I have only myself to blame. Whatever be my personal opinions and style of work there is however no denying the importance of teamwork. It's just rare to come across a coherent one and even more difficult to be a part of one. When an efficient team works towards a common goal – be it on the sports arena, at work, as a family, on a group project or running a nation - when each person knows his or her individual role that contributes to the bigger picture and fufils it without losing focus, it's teamwork at its best. I've observed the workings of a clock and am fascinated at the precision by which it measures time. Of course one small glitch brings the machine to a screeching halt. How about the human body. Each part has a role to play, none is too big or too small. One slip and the body is in disarray. And then there's music. How well it works when the composition, lyrics, instruments, musicians all come together to create a song. Teamwork or lack of it is also translated wonderfully on the field and among players of a team sport. We've hurled angry insults at a striker who tries to find individual glory by scoring a selfish, senseless goal. And we've jumped for joy when a center forward finds the hoop and scores for the team with the help of the team. We all understand the importance of teamwork, the challenge is working together as a team. It's not about personal gains but about a collective output. There is no space for ego or finding individual merits and yet holding on to your individuality. It's the drop that makes up the ocean but not getting lost in the crowd. It's imperative to respect and trust each other. It's about discovering each other's strengths and helping overcome one another's weaknesses. It's about standing by each other and taking the fall together. It's about a group of individuals coming together as one. And so when every issue of Y! is out and I pore through it I am filled with a sense of pride to be working with such a talented team. TSERING CHODEN
On the cover are the five major cast members of Hamro Team, Niraj Chaudhari, Sauram Raj Tuladhar, Reecha Sharma, Eelum and Abdul Khan (from L to R). Hamro Team is a forthcoming television serial drama with 13 episodes, directed by Bhusan Dahal and produced by AB Pictures Pvt. Ltd. and Search for Common Ground Nepal. Cover Photo: Raj Bhai Suwal
EDITOR Tsering Choden
PHOTOGRAPHER Sudhir Bhandari
DESK EDITOR Vikash Pradhan
CONSULTANT Sudan Bista
NEPALI COPY EDITOR Viplob Pratik
MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION Suneeta Tuladhar
STAFF WRITER Kashish Das Shrestha
CONTRIBUTORS NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati Rabin Giri Utsav Shakya Bipra Acharya
GRAPHICS/DESIGN Swapnil Acharya ILLUSTRATION Preena Shrestha
Published by Y Enterprise Private Limited P O Box: 6532 Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: +977 1 4254267 Email: mail@yzine.com.np URL: www.yzine.com.np CDO Kathmandu Registration: 04/062/063 Y! does not subscribe to any writer's views and thoughts. Any opinions expressed is solely the writer's own. Y! is not responsible or liable or any expression thereon.
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CONTENTS
MAIN FEATURE Fresh Perspectives page 12
FEATURE Team Play: Voices in the Making page 7
SPECIAL PHOTO FEATURE Being Nepali page 35
FEATURE Why does this remind me so much of Nepal? page 58
She's the Story She Drives me Crazy page 18 Y! Picks Prabal Gurung Spring 2011 Collection page 20 Feature Jazzin' up Kathmandu page 24 COLUMN s'g ;ª\3f/df 5 g]kfnL l;g]df < page 27 Report Stats don't lie... or do they? Page 28 Political Report Card The Culture of Rising Impunity in Nepal page 30 Album Review 1974 AD and Nepathya page 31 Voice Dinesh Prasad Harijan page 33 Column And there are the Nepalis in India page 39 Y! Express And Guernica goes on page 41 Blogroll Big Nick at Large page 41
REPORT Nepalese Print Media in the Age of Online Publication Page 42 CA Update ;+ljwfg lgdf{0fM ce}m cGof]n, cem} cndn page 45 Y! Art yfª\sfaf6 cfw'lgs snflt/ page 46 Y! Not Golf c“Wof/f]df rlDsPsf dl0f page 48 Discussion The Endless Search for a Nepali PM page 50 Feature Coaching for the Game of Life page 53 Tech Smart and Informed page 54 On the Shelf sfJofTds cfVofg page 57 Photo Feature Celebrations page 62 Impressions Kathmandu - a Lasting Passion and a Continuing Surprise page 70
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CONTRIBUTORS Y! STAFF PROFILE Rabin Giri, a Creative Journalism Award winner in 2008, jointly given by Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) and District Development Committee, Sunsari, is a journalist with expertise and experience in print, radio and film journalism. Juggling roles as trainer, resource person, consultant and a field worker, Rabin is focused on issues that range from HIV-AIDS, human rights, conflict, peace building to international issues. Currently he is the sub-editor at Annapurna Post, Kathmandu and program consultant for Vijayapur FM 98.8, Dharan. CONTRIBUTORS IN BRIEF Amrita Gurung is currently working as a freelance writer. She also worked as a journalist at The Kathmandu Post (mid 2006-early 2010). She admires the works of the welfare economist Amartya Sen, and hopes to meet him some day, and to have a hearty discourse on his book Development as Freedom. Dambar Krishna Shrestha is a special correspondent with Himalmedia Pvt. Ltd. He has been in journalism for last 15 years. He likes travelling and takes a keen interest in photography. Anil Chitrakar is trained in the US as an engineer and energy planner. He was part of the team that implemented the National Conservation Strategy for Nepal, and developed an ecologically sustainable, hydropower project for Nepal. He has spent much of his life promoting renewable energy resources, management and conservation of natural resources, and in recovering Nepal’s built, living and natural heritage. Anil is also the Group Editor of ECS Media. Dr. Bal Krishna Bhattarai is a professor of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care at BPKIHS, Dharan. Vishnu Karki received his Ed.D. from The George Washington University, USA, in Education Administration and Policy Studies. He has worked over 25 years in the field of education and recently worked as an Education Expert and Consultant to the MOE to develop the policy and strategies for School Sector Reform Program. Dr. Pradeep Bhattarai is the President of FICTION (Society of Film Critics, Nepal). He wrote a thesis on Cinema for his PhD. Nancy Keesler Welch is a student of graduate studies at The New School university in New York. She recently spent the summer traveling to several parts of Nepal for her International Field Program to research contemporary issues of water management. She currently lives in New York. Alok Tuladhar has been practicing photography as a serious hobbyist for 25 years, and has concluded that photography is the best medium to document the globally unique cultural diversity of Nepal. A man of science, he realized recently that photography gave him what was missing in his life so far – art. Some of his work can be seen at http://janabahaa.blogspot.com. He can be contacted at alokstuladhar@gmail.com.
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Rewati Sapkota has been a journalist in print and television for the past 13 years, mainly focusing on the Maoist movement as well as issues related to water and environment, development and social issues. He began his career in journalism from Sindhupalchowk. Currently he is working in Annapurna Post national daily as a Senior Correspondent. Bibek Bhandari is a correspondent for Republica national daily. Before joining Republica, he interned for Rolling Stone India in Mumbai. Bibek has covered stories from the Everest Base Camp to Kashmir and has been published in The Dallas Morning News and the Hindustan Times. He is also the winner of the 2009 SAJA Atlantic Media New Media Scholarship. Om Astha Rai works with Republica daily. He's been in active journalism for 10 years now. He is interested in mainly covering social issues. Jagannath Lamichhane is a Kathmandu based 'Global Mental Health Rights Activist'. He writes a fortnightly column, 'Mental Health and Society', for the Kathmandu Post National English Daily and is associated with Nepal Mental Health Foundation. He contributes for the Guardian, UK, as well on Nepal and global issues. He can be reached at jagannathlc@gmail.com. Bikash Rai is a management student from Dharan. Also involved in radio media, he is currently working in Kathmandu. Dinesh Prasad Harijan belongs to the Chamar community, one of the most backward castes in Nepal. The first to sit for the SLC exams from his village community, Dinesh has managed to overcome many socio-economic barriers, and is now a radio presenter & producer, an activist, a social worker. Dinesh Kafle is a research scholar at Centre of English and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His research interests include Sanskrit Aesthetics, Culture Studies and Translation Studies. Ajay Kumar Uprety is associated with a couple of youth organizations in Nepal. He completed his Masters from the University of Mysore. His issue of interest is health, policy and youth engagement. He is also associated with 'TIG Panoroma, an online magazine', as a member of the Editorial Board. Gopal Dahal works for Fast Times Daily and Star FM in Dharan. Rohit Rai is an executive editor at Aujar Daily and also reports for Nagarik Daily from Dharan. Richa Bhattarai is pursuing her Masters in English from Tribhuvan University. She is interested in writing poems and stories. Her literature reviews appear regularly in Nagarik and Republica daily. Subel Bhandari, one of the founding members of Y! magazine, is a Nepali journalist based in Kabul, Afghanistan. He works for dpa, German press agency. Phillipa Saxton is a travel journalist, writer, editor and documentary writer. An inveterate traveler with 20 years of experience in the tourism industry and 15 years in the motorcycle touring business, she has terrific stories to share. She is passionate about introducing people to her favorite destinations – preferably via their preferred method of transport – motorcycle.
FEATURE
: Y A L P M A TE : Y A L P M A E T s e c i Vo Voices the e in h t n i making g n i k ma , in Hamro Team is as , essence as inclusive all in it can be and its forms . manifestations Shot across , the the country , series brings , the and includes people voices ofand old young alike.
Amrita text by
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January 2011
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Hamro Team, the Nepali edition of the Search for Common Ground’s global production, The Team - a multi-episodic television drama, is endowed with the common purpose of promoting good governance, team spirit and leadership.
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rowing up in a politically unstable country like Nepal, with wounds still fresh from a bloody conflict, is seemingly difficult. The country is in the path of recovery, but it is very early days and peace most often seems like an illusion. Conflict and violence are still prevalent in its different forms: social, economic, cultural, etc., and there are wide gaps that need to be bridged in the social fabric. Initiatives, though, are not lacking towards taking the people and the nation ahead through this period of transition in a post-conflict environment. Voices have also been raised at various levels aimed at social justice, advocacy and peace building. However, in the tumult, such voices have often remained ignored and ineffective or have failed to reach their intended audiences. In this scenario, a touch of innovation, a step away from the conventional, could perhaps be a good way to be heard and noticed, and in recent times, there have been enough instances in Nepal where people have tapped into such non-conventional ways and methods to voice and to express themselves, contributing equally to the nation’s peace
building process. Hamro Team, the Nepali edition of the Search for Common Ground’s global production, The Team - a multiepisodic television drama, is just one of the many voices being raised. The Team, the global production is being produced and broadcast in more than 10 countries around the world, including in Indonesia and Pakistan in Asia. The series is endowed with the common purpose of promoting good governance, team spirit and leadership. In all these countries, these messages are weaved into different stories on the backdrop of the beautiful game of football (Cricket, in Pakistan). Thus, the stories of The Team present the stories of a football team and individuals who make up the team. With these common sets of goals and the backdrop of football, the different stories of The Team are written by local writers in these countries. Hamro Team is not an exception “except its name,” says Yubakar Raj Rajkarnikar, one of the producers. “The series had to be made in the Nepali context and in the process of contextualising it within the framework of local issues; we
Story of Hamro Team is about team and leadership. It’s about goals and achieving it with vision and dedication. One such real story about extraordinary leadership is resonant in the life of Coach Luma. The beautiful game of football is another common element in Hamro Team and Coach Luma’s story. An immigrant living in America, she went on to earn several international accolades after forming the success story called The Fugees. thought it was only wise to call it Hamro Team.” Spanning 13 episodes, Hamro Team, with the objective of addressing and creating awareness about good governance, leadership, team and transparency should “inculcate knowledge about these issues,” says Yubakar. “We complain about misconducts and poor leadership from leaders in all sectors that hinders the path to our progress as a nation towards
a peaceful, developed society. Hamro Team aims to encourage the people to ask questions of their leaders, to voice their opinion on the kind of leadership they want. For it is the people that make the leaders.” This is not all that the soap opera addresses. Hamro Team brings out people’s stories in the forefront. It tells the stories of individuals and how they are all affected directly or indirectly by
Hamro Team Facts Name of the show – Hamro Team Frequency, duration – Weekly, 25 minutes Director – Bhushan Dahal Director of photography – Bidur Pandey Editor – Lokesh Bajracharya Production Coordinator – Ajay Upadhyaya Assistant Director – Deepak Rauniyar Script Writers – Abinash Bikram Shah, Deepak Rauniyar, Abhimanyu ‘Nirabi’ Football Trainer – Sailesh Karmacharya Actors for major characters – Richa Sharma, Eelum,
Daya Hang Rai, Ghanashyam Mishra, Abdul Khan, Niraj Chaudhary, Sauram Raj Tuladhar Producers – Serena Tripathi, Yubakar Executive producers – Deborah Jones, John Marks Produced by – Common Ground Production, Search for Common Ground and AB Pictures Pvt. Ltd. Funded by - UKaid Tentative broadcast date – May 2011 www.hamroteam.org.np
COACHING FOR THE GAME OF LIFE page 53 the poor socio-economic and political state of Nepal. Importantly, it “forces the characters in the stories to question the leadership of the politicians, and to voice their opinions on what kinds of leadership they want,” says Abinash Bikram Shah, the lead writer of the series. “But this was not possible without understanding and accepting the views of people of various backgrounds in Nepal.” Hamro Team, in essence, is as inclusive as it can be in all its forms and manifestations. Shot across the country, the series brings, and includes, the voices of people young and old alike. “There is unity in diversity,” says Shah about the portrayals of characters and their issues. In turn, Shah had to explore the realities faced by people in order to really understand the local issues of not just Kathmandu and Bardiya but other remote parts of Nepal as well. “I think 9 January 2011
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I’ve really grown as a writer,” he shares. But, this was just the tip of an iceberg of what people involved in the making of the production could do. The entire team was preparing, researching and contributing to the development of the series before it actually materialised into reality. In fact, the team was hard at work for over two years before the project came to fruition. “We worked as a team and helped each other,” says Reecha Sharma who plays the central character of Seema, a football coach, in the series. “It feels good to work with a team that is so diverse in regards to their background and upbringing. While there were those from the villages there were others who have received education in America.” Stories within stories, Hamro Team tells them aplenty. “Each episode has a story forming a piece of a bigger story of the soap opera,” Sharma informs. These are the stories of individuals, of a team that believes in the change they can bring, and foster in little collaborative efforts. These are also stories of individuals who fight against odds to pursue their common goals, to bring change in their perspectives, and most importantly - to question the polity, leadership and transparency of the country. The efforts of these individuals to send out a common message and the pursuit of bringing about change through the TV Series Hamro Team will surely be noticed. 11 January 2011
MAIN FEATURE
TRAFFIC/WASTE/BAGMATI
The neighbour's lawn is always greener, but there is much more than meets the eye. We are often frustrated, at seeing Nepal at the bottom of most lists - reports and indicators. Our sights are always leveled elsewhere and so, our aspirations, and in doing so, we often amplify our issues and problems while overlooking those that ail the others. The larger one's plate is, the more issues and problems on it, so, the most developed of countries may have issues of their own that render many of our own, minuscule and insignificant. It may just be that they are more adept at handling their problems than us. Thus, while we grovel among the petty and make mountains out of molehills, theirs recede to the background and remain invisible to the outside eye. The bottomline, everyone, from nations to people, wrestle with issues. It is just the handling that elevates them to crises or reduces them to irritants. Finding the silver lining is quite difficult in Nepal. Apathy and disillusionment is the general state of mind, and understandable looking at the recent state of affairs, from failing to find a prime minister to the delay in writing the Constitution, which was said to herald the dawn of a New Nepal. Problems we have a plenty, name it and we have it. It is truly a bleak and unsavoury picture, but scraping a little below the surface reveals prospects for improvements and solutions. As a nation, we have been amply endowed. What is apparently lacking is proper management, some fore-thought and genuine will to gets the issues resolved and over with. This issue we ponder over a few of our afflictions and see if there is a way out. 12 yzine.com.np
When I worked for Kathmandu municipality many wards refused to allow us to work fearing that the Mayor would get re-elected if we 'did' something and succeeded. SUDHIR BHANDARI
FRESH PERSPECTIVES
Learn the Nepali Ways
text by Anil Chitrakar
P
eople in Kathmandu will stop throwing garbage onto the streets and rivers only when they hear about and see that someone in the city is actually making money off their 'waste'. We just need a couple of well placed interviews in the media about 'someone' who bought a car by managing and selling Kathmandu’s 'filth' and it will change the state of affairs completely. We know this because that is how we behave collectively. We cannot tolerate other people’s progress; and that too from our garbage? 20 years ago, I remember parents asking me why they should send their children to school so that the teacher would get a salary. When I was the head of a large conservation organisation and called the neighbours to build a park, they would not participate because they did not like the idea of the entrance to ‘my’ office looking nicer! When I worked for Kathmandu municipality many wards refused to allow us to work fearing that the Mayor would get re-elected if we 'did' something and succeeded. This is the context we have to understand.
Why are we in the traffic? If all schools were of good quality and no kid had to commute across town, there would be no traffic jams. If offices allowed people to take advantage of broadband to work from home we would have empty streets. If politicians built their fancy homes in their home districts, Kathmandu would not have much traffic either. If communists, socialists, Marxists and Leninists went to work in bicycles, we would have so much more space on the roads. On a more practical note, if a small by-pass was built under the bridge in front of Singha Durbar, traffic would flow smoothly. If one could add bus levy using the election commission land at Kantipath, jams there would end. Why does the 'peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s' Singha Durbar need a wall around it? Like in Washington DC all ministries could be on public roads and accessible to the people of the new republic. Under the open theater, we could easily park 400 cars. The list can go on and on for those who want to do something.
Money from waste. Madan Krishna and Hari Bansha are fond of reminding us that the people of Kathmandu did not realise there was money in 'empty bottles' (khali sishi) until the 'kabad' came to our homes to buy them! Composting and growing your own vegetables could be so much better than paying for medical bills later in life for food with pesticides and chemicals. Poor people do not or cannot produce a lot of waste and most of it is bio degradable. If every house had chickens or rabbits, very little waste would remain. At schools if we were to give a little extra income to 'paaley dai' for sorting separated papers, glass, metal and plastic for stationary across Nepal, how much 'garbage' would there be left? Unfortunately, we are now a country that rewards the best articulation of the problem rather than aligning incentives for solutions. If the country and city was to reward people in Kathmandu for each tree on their private land, how green the city would be.
Holy Bagmati, really? We are willing to listen to politicians (please stop calling them leaders) who want a Hindu state, but have no problem watching our sacred rivers die. People are buying expensive land, ignorant of the fact that land has value only if we have water and the Bagmati. The protection of Shivapuri gave Bagmati a new life. Why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we do the same to Phulchowki, Jamacho and Chandragiri watersheds? Simple replication. Each home today pays for waste water treatment (check your bill) and waste water goes to the Bagmati. We are all paying to kill the Bagmati each month. That is the level of education and awareness we have. Have you seen the remains of water treatments plants in the valley? They need to be revived and managed. Do you know how many people have full time and part time jobs to solve the problems we are articulating here? Why are they being paid with our tax money? When we "all wake up", the problems will be gone.
HEALTH
Health Policy Making In a country like Nepal, health financing through out-of-pocket payments impedes proper utilisation of health care facilities, further hindered by lack of borrowing opportunities. text by Dr. Balkrishna Bhattarai
I
n Nepal, as in many developing countries, people in general are deprived of effective health care. Though we tend to blame only the supply side of it, both supply and demand sides are responsible for the present health situation in our country. Neither are the providers i.e. the government, many nongovernmental organisations and private institutions able to offer good quality health care nor are the individuals utilising the available services properly. These two sides are actually related to each other. The public loses interest if the quality of care being provided is poor while a high level of demand created by purchasing power ultimately induces provision of quality care. There exists a barrier between the provider and the user of the service, which needs to be overcome. Money is essential for providing and availing of effective health care. The spending must be directed towards most effective programmes and interventions with appropriate and rational distribution. Highly effective schemes such as female community health volunteers must be strengthened and expanded. The prevalent management, regulatory and political mechanisms, need to be reframed with the provision of strong face incentives to the care providers. Strengthening of both supply
13 January 2011
SUDHIR BHANDARI
and demand sides is essential to achieve compounded effects.
Health insurance policies In a country like Nepal, health financing through out-of-pocket payments impedes proper utilisation of health care facilities, further hindered by lack of borrowing opportunities. Pooling of risks across individuals through pre-payment schemes allows smooth risk management by reducing out-of-pocket expenditure particularly of the poor. Therefore, health insurance policies need to be implemented for universal coverage. For absolutely poor individuals, available tax resources should be used to cover the premium. However, a voluntary approach to health insurance policy should not be adopted as it is likely to be ineffective.
Overcoming distance barriers Improving the transport system will reduce cost of reaching health care facilities and raise the ratio of services to catchment population by facilitating both taking people to facilities and facilities to people. Road building is a massive job, particularly in a country like Nepal with difficult terrain, and does not fall under the control of health policy making. But the government must keep road building a top priority as the impacts of improved transport are wide with influence on almost all sectors of life and are long lasting. Schemes need to be designed that lower the price of travel for health care. Close-to-the client system needs to be followed for bringing services to populations. At the individual level poor patients with specific conditions such as utero-vaginal prolapse immensely benefit from outreach mobile health camps.
Subsidy in health services Poverty and ill health go side by side. Although identifying poor and marginalised individuals from the well offs may be challenging, mechanisms should be developed so that the real poor can be exempted from health care costs. A health care card should be designed for the entitlement of the care or a voucher should be issued for availing health services that can be 14 yzine.com.np
exchanged so that the provider gets incentive of the service. For effective delivery of care, it must be ensured that the health care providers get satisfactory incentives.
Rewards for health care utilisation An increased utilisation of obstetric care in health institutions has been observed after the government introduced monetary incentives to the parturient. The scheme should be extended to preventive interventions with wider impacts such as immunisation, antenatal care and childgrowth monitoring.
Strategies for improved delivery of health care Improving the health status of people requires a comprehensive approach and must cover preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspects. One of the keys for effective disease prevention is health education. Health needs to be compulsorily included in the school curriculum right from the primary level of education with emphasis on currently prevalent diseases, sanitation and personal hygiene, immunisation and family planning.or health promotion, emphasis must be given to adoption of healthy lifestyles, e.g. encouraging cycling instead of using motor vehicles
by providing subsidy in purchasing bicycles. Policies should be enforced to discourage unhealthy habits such as consumption of junk food. To make curative services effective, super-specialty services, such as cardiac and neurological, should be made available at least in all the five developmental regions of Nepal. Starting and implementing emergency medical system at least in big towns and cities should be done to cater to the patients suffering from acute life threatening medical illnesses and traumas. For providing curative care, public private partnership approach must be emphasised to ensure feeling of ownership by the communities. Palliative care and rehabilitative care must be made available throughout the country to care for the patients with life limiting diseases such as cancer, AIDS, spinal injuries, etc. For this, in addition to enforcing education and advocacy, narcotic drug policy must be relaxed to ensure availability and accessibility of essential drugs. Regulating bodies such as Nepal Medical council, Nepal Health Professional Council and Nepal Nursing Councils should ensure the quality of care being provided. Policies should be such that health professionals are produced based on actual need of the country. All the stake holders need to realise the importance of their own responsibilities towards the health of the citizens and the country as a whole.
EDUCATION
SUDHIR BHANDARI
o;f] ug{ ;lsG5 g]kfnsf] z}lIfs cj:yf ;'wfg{ text by VISHNU KARKI
xfd|f] d'n'sdf ;a} lt/ ;d: of 5 . z} lIfs If] qdf To;sf] c;/ b] lvg' : jfefljs} xf] . t/ , o; n] vdf pNn] lvt If] qnfO{ k|fyldstfsf ;fy tTsfn Aojl: yt ug{ ;lsof] ] eg] afFsL / x] sf ;fgfltgf ;d: ofx? qmdzM ;dfwfg x'Fb} hfg] ljZjf; ug{ ;lsG5 . lzIfssf] u'0f: t/ tyf Aoj: yfkg d] / f] klxnf] dfGotf s] xf] eg] , ha;Dd lzIf0f k] zfnfO u'0f: t/ Lo, dof{lbt / Aojl: yt agfOb} Fg ta ;Dd lzIffdf vf;} 7"nf] ;'wf/ sf] ck] Iff ug{ ;lsb} Fg . lsgeg] / fHosf] s"n ah] 6sf] ;a} eGbf 7"nf] lx: ;f cf] u6] sf] If] q lzIff ePtf klg lzIfssf] tna eQf tyf ;'lawfdf dfq lzIffsf] s"n ah] 6sf] *% k|ltzt eGbf a9L / sd vr{ x'g] u/ ] sf] 5 . o;y{, lzIfsdf eO/ x] sf] nufgLsf] ;b'kof] u ug{ ;lsof] eg] lzIffsf] *% k|ltzt ;d: of : jtM ;dfwfg x'G5 . t/ lzIf0f k] zfnfO u'0f: t/ Lo / dof{lbt agfpg] s'/ f Tolt ;xh eg] 5} g . tyflk o;sf lglDt b'O{ lsl;dsf tl/ sf ckgfpg ;lsG5 . klxnf] , xfn eO / x] sf lzIfsx?dWo] of] Uo / nugzLn lzIfsx?sf] 5gf} 6 u/ L afFsLnfO ;'ljwf ;lxt labfug] { / cfjZostfsf cfwf/ df gofF, of] Uo tyf bIf lzIfssf] 5gf} 6 ug] {, ltgnfO{ laBfno, laBfyL{ tyf cleefjs k|lt hjfkmb] xL agfpg] / lgoldt cg'udg tyf lgodg ug{sf nflu lzIfs k] zfut ;+: yfx?sf] cu'jfOdf : yflgo : t/ df clwsf/ ;DkGg ;ldlt u7g ug'{k5{ . bf] >f] , lzIfsnfO{ sIffsf] 7fleq tyf laBfyL{;Fu latfpg] lglZrt ;dosf cnfjf lg/ Gt/ cWoog tyf cg';Gwfgdf nfUg] jftfj/ 0f agfpg] , 5nkmn, uf] i7L tyf cGt{lqmofTds sfo{qmddf efu lng k|f] T;fxg lbg] , lzIfssf] of] Uotf, n] v, / rgf, tyf sfo{kq OToflbnfO{ : t/ a[l4;Fu cfa4 ug] { / lzIfssf] Go"gtd kfl/ >lds, zt{ ;'ljwf h: tf s'/ fx? lgodfjnLd} : ki6 ls6fg u/ L afWofTds agfpg'k5{ . o;sf ;fy} lzIf0f k] zfnfO u'0f: t/ Lo / dof{lbt agfpg] s'/ f / fHo PSn} n] dfq ug{ ;Dej 5} g, t;y{ lzIfs k] zfut ;+: yfx?nfO g} cu'jf agfP/ o; lbzfdf / fHo ;+oGqn] cfjZos aftfj/ 0f agfO kxn ug] { .
/ fli6«o : t/ df cGt{lqmof tyf ax;sf dfWodaf6 lzIfs tyf lzIf0f k] zfsf ;DaGwdf 7f] ; / 0fgLlt to ug'{ pko'Qm x'g] 5 .
ljBfnosf] : t/ xfn ;~rflnt clwsf+z ;fd'bflos laBfnosf] z} lIfs tyf ef} lts aftfj/ 0f hh{/ cj: yfdf / xsf] 5 . w] / } 6f9f hfg} kb} {g, / fhwfgLd} bogLo cj: yfdf rln/ x] sf ;fd'bflos laBfnox?sf] sdL 5} g . o;y{, ;a} ;fd'bflos ljBfnox?df z} lIfs tyf ef} lts k"jf{wf/ k|fyldstfsf ;fy ;'lglZrt u/ L Go"gtd k"jf{wf/ sf xsdf ;a} laBfnodf Ps?ktf Nofpg'k5{ . o;sfnflu xfn rfn' ;fd'bflos laBfnox?sf] cj: yf x] / L ltgnfO{ ;'ljwfsf] k'g{ljt/ 0f ug'{ cfjZos 5 . ;fy} : yfgLo ;d'bfo, lzIfs / pgLx? cfj4 k] zfut ;+: yfaLr ;xsfo{ h?/ L 5 .
z} lIfs tYof+s Aoj: yfkg nfhdbf] { s'/ f s] 5 eg] , / fHodf slt laBfno ;+rflnt 5g\, slt lzIfs 5g\ / slt laBfyL{ cWoog/ t 5g\ eGg] s'/ fsf] osLg tYofÍ lzIff dGqfno jf lzIff ljefu;Fu 5} g . o;n] ubf{ k|foMh;f] z} lIfs of] hgfx? xr'jfsf e/ df aGg] u/ ] sf 5g\ / ;|f] tsf] ;b'kof] u x'g] s'/ fdf ljZj: t x'g;Sg] cj: yf klg 5} g . cem eofjx l: ylt t s] 5 eg] lzIffdf ;xh} v] / hfg] b/ -Gross Wastage_ nueu $) k|ltztsf] ] xf/ fxf/ Ldf 5 . cYff{t\, lzIffsf] 15 January 2011
s"n ah] 6sf] nueu $) k|ltzt nufgL k|To] s aif{ v] / hfg] u/ ] sf] 5 . o;sf] k|d'v sf/ 0f eg] sf] sIff bf] xf] ¥ofpg] cyf{t km] n x'g] / sIff 5f8\g] laBfyL{sf] ;+Vof cTolws x'g' xf] . o;/ L sIff bf] xf] ¥ofpg] / sIff 5f8\g] b/ nfO{ dfq lgoGq0f ug{ ;lsof] eg] nueu $) k|ltzt nufgL xfn eO/ x] s} ah] 6af6 cGo pknlJwd"ns sfddf nufpg ;lsG5 . lzIff lglZrt ?kdf / fHosf] bfloTj xf] , t/ / fHon] bfloTj lng'kg] { laBfyL{sf] ;+Vof osLg gePsf sf/ 0f Psflt/ / fHosf] ;|f] t lglZrt ju{ jf ;d"x;Dd cfjZos dfqfdf k'Ug ;s] sf] 5} g eg] csf] {lt/ gSsnL laBfyL{] ;+Vof b] vfP/ / fHosf] ;|f] tsf] b'?kof] u ug] { rng k|foM al;;s] sf] 5 . o;y{ lzIffdf ah] 6 cefjsf] u'gf;f] ul/ / xg' eGbf o;/ L b'?kof] u ug] { k|j[lQnfO / f] Sg ;lsof] eg] k|z: t / sd hf] ufP/ ;xL 7fpFdf nufgL a9fpg ;lsG5 .
sfo{ut ;'wf/ clxn] s} cj: yfdf lzIffsf ;+/ rgfx? vf; u/ ] / lhNnf lzIff sfof{no / ;|f] t s] Gb|nfO{ ;flass} cj: yfdf ;~rfngdf NofO / fVg'sf] s'g} cy{ 5} g . lhNnf lzIff sfof{no / ;|f] t s] Gb|sf] clwsf+z ;do k|zf;lgs sfdsfhdf laTg] u/ ] sf] 5 . lzIfsnfO{ tna eQf ljt/ 0f, lgo'lQm / ;?jf a9'jfsf sfuhL k|lqmof tyf k/ LIff ;DaGwL sfddf nueu k"/ } ;do vr{ x'g] u/ ] sf] 5 . o: tf k|zf;lgs sfdsfhsfnflu 5'§} Aoj: yf u/ ] / lzIff sfof{no tyf ;|f] ts] Gb|nfO a9L eGbf a9L ;do laBfnosf] cg'udg tyf ;'kl/ j] If0fdf, lzIf0f clea[l4 ug] { sfddf, laBfno ;~rfng tyf Aoj: yfkgdf k|flalws ;xof] u k'¥ofpg] sfddf / lzIff ;DaGwL gofF k|ljlwx?sfaf/ ] df lzIfs, laBfyL{ tyf ;/ f] sf/ jfnfx?sf] kx'Fr k'¥ofpg ;xof] u ug] { h: tf k|fljlws sfddf nufpg'k5{ .
: yfgLo lgsfosf] ;xeflutf laBfyL{x?sf] a9bf] ;+Vof / ablnFbf] ;fdflhs / fhgLlts kl/ j] zsf sf/ 0f laBfno ;~rfng tyf Aoj: yfkg nufot lzIffsf] ;du| Aoj: yfksLo sfo{df : yfgLo lgsfosf] ;xeflutfsf a9fpFb} n} hfg' cfhsf] cfjZostf dfq geO afWotf eO;s] sf] 5 . o;y{, : yfgLo lzIffsf] of] hgf th'{df ug] {, lzIffsf nflu s] lGb|o tyf : yfgLo ;|f] tsf] klxrfg tyf kl/ rfng ug'{k5{ . o;sf ;fy} z} lIfs sfo{qmdx? sfof{Gjog ug] {, cg'udg / lgodg ug] { sfd ;Dk"0f{ ?kdf : yfgLos/ 0f ub} { : yfgLo lgsfonfO k"0f{ ?kdf lhDd] jf/ tyf hjfkmb] xL agfpg' k5{ . ;fy} : yfgLo lgsfosf] ;xeflutfnfO cem a9L k|efjsf/ L agfpg lhNnf lzIff sfof{no / ;|f] t s] Gb| h: tf lgsfodf sfo{/ t kbflwsf/ L ;d] tnfO{ : yfgLo lgsfo k|lt lhDd] jf/ tyf hjfkmb] xL agfpg' klg csf] { lhDd] jf/ L xf] . 16 yzine.com.np
WATER
Decentralisation and the Capture of Local Government:
How Access to Water can be Managed More Efficiently text by Nancy Keesler Welch
N
epal has the poorest drinking water and sanitation coverage for its population in South Asia. The mention of Melamchi Water Supply Project evokes dismissive laughter, and the Asian Development Bank’s two-year-old incarnation, the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), provokes frustration. At present, the demand for water in Kathmandu is approximately 200 million litres per day but during the dry season, the water authority, Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) can supply only 90 million litres per day (45%) and 120 million litres per day (60%) during the wet season (UN HABITAT 2008). This is perhaps due to a lack of planning control. If nothing else, the Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) and KUKL offer a hard lesson for Nepal: water management in this highly centralised and exclusive model may not work. At this point, there exists enough academic work and expertise to offer alternatives, too. The most obvious is, the decentralisation of water management through elected bodies so that it can come under the influence of the people—the consumer. Now, ‘decentralisation’ being the current buzzword, what exactly does it mean? And how effective is it? After all, the KUKL is supposed to be a decentralised form of the Nepal Water Supply Corporation, coined as a public-private partnership. The evidence of a decentralised model working preWorld Bank involvement is well documented. The Pokhrel
KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA
In Nepal there have been no municipal elections for almost ten years. But, even today, examples of municipalities and communities taking a more active role in managing their own water supply can be found across the country for sure. Municipalities today can even be found to be performing a critical role in doing the work of Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC). Commission Report of 1987 notes that Nepal, since as early as 1895, had public water supply networks, which were run by local government bodies such as wards and municipalities. The report highlights the essential role of a ward chairman who knows the local needs and delivery costs better than a centralised government. “The involvement of ward chairmen is essential to solve this problem [of inadequate quantity], especially if something akin to load shedding is to be enforced” (Pokhrel). In Nepal there have been no municipal elections for almost ten years. But, even today, examples of municipalities and communities taking a more active role in managing their own water supply can be found across the country for sure. Municipalities today can even be found to be performing a critical role in doing the work of Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC). The NWSC, of which KUKL is an offspring, is no different. In places like Dharan and Pokhara, the role of the municipality to develop water management and supply is remarkably active. Meanwhile, the antiquated NWSC, the actual body that is supposed to play this role, makes profit in both these municipalities and yet remains unaccountable about where that profit is invested. Like in Ward 18 in Pokhara, the municipality funneled its local development budget to help build a community user group to manage the water supply system. When the NWSC asked that the infrastructure be handed over to them, the locals asked if it was capable of working to further develop the existing system and connect the entire ward. NWSC ended up giving the user group their right to manage their own water supply. This shows how management and co-funding from the community make a system sustainable by developing a sense of ownership among the households and communities. Similarly in Dharan, the NWSC is only capable of supplying about 50% of the municipality’s 22,000 households, including about 6,000 slum dwellers. In response, Wards 11 and 17 have developed their own water management and supply systems while many smaller groups of homes have also devised their own communal water taps. Dharan has also formed a unique body, the Dharan Integrated Watershed Conservation and Drinking Water Management Committee. It includes representatives from some key stakeholders, such as officials from: the municipality, the NWSC, the Department of Forest,
HEALTH
and even local community members because it recognises that their primary source of water, from the watershed areas in the town’s north, falls under various jurisdictions. Most believe that proper management of water from the rivers supported by the region’s watershed areas could sufficiently provide for the municipality, even with its growing population considered. Municipalities have proven that they are capable of doing better work but responsibilities need to be redefined. Most experts see viable roles for the private sector, namely in performing duties such as maintenance and billing/ metering. In an interview with Anil Chitrakar, former member of Kathmandu City Planning Commission, he noted, “not all capacities will exist at the Ward level, so it’s really about differentiating the function between the local and the national level. It’s a matter of mandate. Water is a common good. But once it enters the pipe, it can be priced. If you are paying, you also expect a guarantee on the quality.” With mandate comes accountability, and with it someone responsible to ensure the quality of water. For too long now the role of key stakeholders has been occupied by foreign loan-aid organisations and national political parties, answerable only to them. The NWSC and KUKL offer no counter argument. They are irresponsive to queries and dismissive of their failures. They raise the problem of supply even when it has been long established that this is an issue of management. Perhaps in this juncture of socio-political transformation, it is time to have a serious reconsideration of how Nepal’s water is managed and supplied, and how it can be accountable to the real key stakeholders: the people of Nepal. Centralised water management is all but a failure in Nepal, and restoring the country’s decentralised water management by elected local bodies, with room for private as well as community participation at various capacities, may be the best hope for Nepal’s water supply. Furthermore, for a decentralised system to be truly effective, it is very important that transparency and accountability mechanisms are put into place to prevent local elites and local interest groups from usurping the localised power. But in sum, until water is managed and supplied to serve the public through a body that feels accountable to the public, things will perhaps never change in Nepal. 17 January 2011
SHE'S THE STORY
text and photos by Alok Tuladhar
Kamala Tamang, 21, is a curiosity. Everyone who notices her at work invariably gives her a second look. Some point at her and make comments. Others sneer and cackle. Born near the famous religious site of Namoboudha in Kavre in central Nepal, Kamala lost her father when she was an infant. Barely able to support three children, her mother could not even put Kamala through primary school. Having spent her childhood and adolescent years in the village helping her mother eke out a living from the small piece of land they own, she finally came to Kathmandu to work as a maid in a nunnery in Kathmandu together with her elder brother Raju, two-and-half years ago. But Kamala soon found out that life at the nunnery was not her life’s calling.
WHILE SHE DRIVES...
Kamala has been driving a taxi for about ten months now, and is adept at her job. She is a skilled driver, and demonstrates tolerance while driving – a major accomplishment, considering the complete lack of civic sense among Kathmandu drivers.
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Kamala now drives a taxi in Kathmandu city, and is one of the few female taxi drivers in the country. “Most passengers encourage me, and a few even leave me some tips,” she says. “But micro-bus drivers often give me cat calls and make derogatory remarks.”
Kamala, Raju, their younger sister Niru (who barely managed to pass SLC this year and has enrolled in college to study education) and Raju’s seven-year old son Karsang all live together in a tiny one-room rented apartment near Bijeshwori, for which they dish out about NRs. 2,200 per month for rent and utilities. After nine rigorous hours of driving around town, she grossed NRs. 1,400 today, which is slightly lower than her average daily earning. “I have done only forty kilometers today, so I am not tired,” she comments nonchalantly. Smiling habitually, she continues, “I still need to do the laundry and cook dinner, which is how I spend my time most evenings.” Her petite physique is aglow with youthful energy at the end of a long, harsh day.
with raju in their room
CHATTING WITH HER FRIENDS...
About four months ago, Kamala pulled Raju out of the nunnery and into the profession she has mastered, teaching him driving and basic car maintenance tasks. Raju takes over the driving at five every evening, and continues till midnight, and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning.
After nine rigorous hours of driving around town, I EARNED Rs. 1,400 today, which is slightly lower than MY average daily earning.
The taxi they drive is their own. “It makes better sense to get a bank loan to purchase a taxi than to rent it,” Kamala reasons. What led her to choose driving a taxi as her profession? “Well…,” she fumbles for a motive. “…for no particular reason, really. Perhaps it was because I thought this would earn a little more than other types of work. But it has its risks.”
19 January 2011
Y! PICKS
Prabal Gurung Spring 2011 Collection text and photos by KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA
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P
rabal Gurung’s status as the rising star of the fashion world has been well established through many awards, honors, and attested to by the many top celebrities who wear his designs to red carpet events around the world; all this in the last two years since he launched his namesake brand. And recently, in early November, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards awarded Gurung the runner-up position that came with a cash prize of $100,000 (approx. Rs. 72,00,000), a prestigious honor and a boost for the young designer’s company. The award came almost two months after he showcased his Spring 2011 collection at the New York Fashion Week. In September, at the Lincoln Center, the venue was bigger than last season’s at Bryant Park, and the chairs were occupied and standing room packed. This was Prabal Gurung’s second show at the runways of New York Fashion Week, and 4th since he started his namesake brand in Spring 2009. This season Prabal presented a bold colorful Spring 2011 collection. He opened with a series of block colored featherweight cashmere dresses hand made in Nepal. Also notable in the show were shoes by Prabal Gurung for Nicholas Kirkwood. Presented here, a few pieces from the Prabal Gurung Spring 2011 Collection.
21 January 2011
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A month after the Fashion Week, actress Kate Hudson wore this dress at ELLE's 17th Annual Women in Hollywood bash where she was being honored.
The collection opened with a series of block colored featherweight cashmere dresses hand made in Nepal that has gained a lot of attention since and is expected to be seen in magazine photo shoots soon. Seen above is the first look from his show at the Fashion Week.
23 January 2011
FEATURE
azzin’ Up Kathmandu text by BIBEK BHANDARI photos SUDHIR BHANDARI
I
n Kathmandu, fall follows jazz and thus Jazzmandu, the annual jazz party in the Himalayas. This year, the 8th annual Jazzmandu’s ensemble with local and international artists like Cadenza Collective, Kutumba, Ari Hoenig, Bug and Alukomarai intoxicated music enthusiasts at the designated jazz junctions. From the packed room of Jazz Upstairs, House of Music and Moksh to the open lawn in Gokarna Forest Resort and Shangri-La Hotel, and the historic courtyard of Patan Museum, jazz was the pick from the pack from October 29 to November 3. Bridging the gap between the
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festive seasons of Dashain and Tihar and sustaining the celebratory vibe with uplifting music, Jazzmandu has become a bookmark in the Nepali music calendar. An annual event that started in 2002, Jazzmandu has created a reputation for itself in the national and international music scene. “The first year was a spontaneous thing,” remembers Navin Chettri, one of the founders of Jazzmandu and also a member of the jazz/afrobeat band Cadenza Collective. After attending the jazz fest in Australia and a tea talk with some of his friends in December 2001, Chettri says their plan to host a musical fest got realised in March 2002. And since then the festival has continued annually, and over the years “has gotten bigger and
more difficult.” Though jazz has its own niche, Chettri says the music genre is expanding because of the exposure it is getting through cyber space. And indeed, the music scene, jazz in particular, has seen a gradual progress making its way from reserved, invitation-only facilities in its early years in the 1960s to the personal playlist of many. Peter J. Karthak, a prominent musician of his generation and a writer, chronicles the music scene during his young days in Kathmandu as “zero.” “Music in all its genres was totally absent,” said Karthak, member of the then The Hillians, a five-member 60’s band from Darjeeling. However, Karthak, who came to
Kathmandu in the winter of 1966, points that the socio-cultural structure of the old times also restricted the musical movement in the country. “The society didn’t recognise creative music; it was so caste ridden,” he says. Tracing the roots of music, in Nepal, there was categorisation of professions according to the caste system. So it was always the Gaines who sang and the Damais who played the musical instruments. And for someone to break the barriers of the caste ridden society needed guts. “From the outsiders, the insiders started learning. It’s a fine balance. It happened slowly but surely and that’s how in two decades, the cultural music scene developed,” Karthak says. Travelling back in time, in Kathmandu, music was limited to the affluent class. Before tapes and compact discs became common commodities, the only way to listen to music, especially jazz, was a privilege, and inside the confines of five-star hotels like Soaltee and Annapurna. George Banks and his son Louis Banks were prominent names giving a taste of jazz to expatriates and locals who could afford the premises of the five-star hotels. With time, the jazz scene has seen the emergence of some local talent, though in a very minimal number; jazz, as a form of music, has reached a broader audience and institutions have been established to promote jazz. Mariano Ernesto Abello, director of Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC), says that during his five-year stay in Nepal, he has seen the transformation: new Nepali jazz musicians in the scene, more interesting music and even some new venues that are open to experimenting with jazz music. And at KJC, it’s not only jazz they’re trying to promote but music education and new ideas that in turn identifies new talent. At Jazzmandu too, with a focus on music education and promotion of jazz among the generation of young musical enthusiasts, a number of workshops were held at KJC. Hoenig, leader of the American groups Punk Bop and Hoenig Pilc Project, and the headliner of this year’s jazz fest, shared some valuable tips and tricks about what he does best: play drums. Gaurab Pandey who accompanied
ljutdf Hofh ;ª\uLt s] jn ;Lldt ju{sf] kx'“rdf lyof] . l;8L / 6] k k|rngdf gcfO;s] sf] n] Hofh ;'Gg ;f] N6L / cGgk"0f{ h:tf kf“rtf/] xf] 6nd} k'Ug'kYof] { . kf“rtf/] xf] 6ndf cfP/ uLt ;'Gg] x}l;ot ePsf ljb] zL / g] kfnLx?nfO{ Hofh ;'gfO{ dgf] /~hg lbg] df n'O{ Aof+S; / pgsf lktf hh{ Aof+S;sf] gfd cu|k+lQmdf cfp“5 .
Hoenig on stage in Kathmandu, said that workshops as such gives a chance to interact with the musicians, watch them play and at the same time learn. A jazz enthusiast himself, Pandey, 26, is one of the new generations of musicians in Nepal. A software engineer by day, he says it was Chettri from Cadenza, who was also his music teacher in school, who inspired him to incline toward jazz. “I like the spontaneity and
improvisational aspect—the way it happens, it really excites me,” speaks Pandey of his love for jazz. This year, Heonig and his group got a rousing response from the audience at every venue they played and improvised on Resham Firiri, a popular Nepali folk song. At Jazzmandu 2010, it is probably the first time that the new generations of jazz enthusiasts have been given a platform to perform. The 15-member student group from Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India, gave a performance that was “up to that level and pulled off pretty well,” according to their instructor Megan Hagberg. The students had been practicing since September and their coordination on tunes such as John LaBarbera’s 'Tiger of San Pedro' and Herbie Hancock’s 'Watermelon Man' thrilled the audience. But it’s not easy being a part of Jazzmandu. Chettri says it’s a “competitive process” where artists have to file applications. And they choose artists on the basis of different styles so the audience has a variety. However, the applications from local artists doesn’t seem too encouraging. That aside, the local artists who have been performing since the past years and also this year put on a good show. Kutumba, a folk-fusion band gave an energised performance with their infectious fusion music. “This is our fourth year in Jazzmandu, but it’s different this year,” shared Pavit Maharjan, one of the two percussionists of Kutumba, during their 30-minute performance at the Gokarna Forest Resort. “We’ve incorporated sitar and the guitar this year.” There have been some modifications in the jazz party’s schedule. While workshops and master classes have been on the frontline, the open, free jazz concerts at places like the Durbar Squares, the Jazzmandu Peace Parade on the streets of Lazimpat and also Jazzmandu’s extension in Pokhara have taken a back seat. “The reason for doing it [workshops] free was to make it more accessible and give free lessons,” shares Chettri. And speaking about the programs that have been discontinued, he said that “they were logistically difficult.” But though there have been changes in programs, the essence of the festival 25 January 2011
Q&A
with Navin Chettri How do you perceive Nepal’s current jazz scene? Jazz has taken its natural course. But in the recent years, the number of audience and enthusiasts has taken a leap. One good example is due to Jazzmandu, when we first started 80 to 90 percent of the crowd was expats and foreigners, and in the recent jazz fests, there have been a little more than 50 percent of local participation. There are also many venues featuring jazz nowadays. Unlike when we started, people now know jazz as a form of music with a lot of improvisation and a different kind of energy. How has jazz been potent to a wider audience and how is a festival like Jazzmandu helping reach out to pockets of people unaware of jazz? Jazz in general has a niche crowd all over the world; it’s not a popular form of music. It’s an art form almost like classical music. In Nepal, we had to start from the capital, but we would love to reach to a wider audience if there were no logistical and political obstacles. During the initial years, we performed in Pokhara but transportation became difficult and there were other circumstances. Due to communication and technology being so available, there are people following jazz and Jazzmandu through the Internet. In Kathmandu, Jazzmandu is like Dashain. When Jazzmandu happens, people are excited. And now, we are trying to get into schools, like Jazz for Next Gen and workshops. We’ve been trying to make it accessible to more people and younger audience. From 2002 to 2010, how has Jazzmandu evolved? What has changed and what remains the same? Some of the venues like Gokarna, Shangri-La and Jazz at Patan have not changed. We’ve added school shows and workshops. We used to do Jazzmandu Peace Parade on the streets of Lazimpat, then we started adding free jazz shows at Kathmandu and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares. This year, logistically it was difficult, so we stopped. We had people from Kathmandu University come capture Jazzmandu in art form—photography, canvas. We couldn’t sustain that because of logistics, but we have kept the essence
remains the same. While past luminaries have included jazz maestros like Trilok Gurtu and Louis Banks, this year’s lineup included new names like Hoenig and Bug from the United States, Alukomarai, a group of musicians from Thailand, Japan, Germany, the US and Norway, and Adrian D’Souza Quartet from India. And performers who played in the past and also have been playing included simakDialog from Indonesia and 26 yzine.com.np
of Jazzmandu. Hopefully, we’ll revive the free concert at Basantapur and the art aspect might come next year. What is the essence of Jazzmandu? The essence of Jazzmandu is the cultural experience for everybody. For people who are visiting, they have an experience of Nepal and the experience of playing jazz in the Himalayas. For us, it’s the experience of listening to world class musicians. So that’s the most important attraction. Basically, it’s to spread the news that jazz is happening. But there aren’t many local bands playing at Jazzmandu. Why? In order for local bands to perform at Jazzmandu they have to go through the same process as international bands—fill forms, send CDs and be selected. But we don’t really get a lot of local bands. I get verbally approached sometimes. Once we put somebody on stage, they have to be special and good. We can’t just put anybody there. In 2004-05, we used to have competition for local bands. That was one way we wanted to promote local artists and visiting artists would be the judges. We had about three entries. We have a scarcity of musicians that way and Jazz for Next Gen is basically to encourage that because of KJC we will definitely have more musicians. Jazzmandu has created a brand for itself. Do you think it is a benchmark for other musical events in Nepal? I hope so. I don’t think there were any other festivals that happened annually before Jazzmandu. When we talk about putting it on the international map, that recognition, the amount of application that comes is overwhelming. It was also featured in last year’s Jazz Times’ event list.
locals such as Cadenza Collective and Kutumba. During the past decades, the local music scene has seen a fair number of invasions: from the jazz tunes in the confined rooms of five-star hotels to the revelation of Rock ‘n’ Roll, punk and Motown sounds to some fusion and popularisation of jazz in the mass. But even at a time when the music scene is still seeing shifts, Karthak says
a music festival like Jazzmandu gives a common platform for artists to perform and the audience to experience music live. He refers to the festival as “some sort of magnetism” that draws an international crowd, performers and participants. And Jazzmandu is all about creating the musical vive, retaining the musical mood and serving as an outlet to expose a genre of world class, original music.
COLUMN
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27 January 2011
REPORT
Stats don't lie...or do they? The National Planning Commission’s statistics indicate that Nepal’s poverty rate has declined. However, this decrease may just be in paper and not in real terms. text by OM ASTHA RAI
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I
n its recent report, National Planning Commission (NPC) has unequivocally asserted that Nepal’s poverty rate has significantly declined in the last decade. However, in this very decade, there has been an unprecedented rise in the incidents of suicide owing to abject poverty. According to the NPC report, the proportion of people below the poverty line has declined to 25.4% in 2010, down from 42% in 1990. Similarly, the proportion of people with less than $1 income per day has also declined to 24.1%, 9.4% lower than it was in 1990. The NPC officials say, citing various researches, Nepal is likely to achieve its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in reducing the proportion of poor by 2015. Of course, Nepal is on the track to meet both indicators--proportions of people below the national poverty line and surviving with less than $1 income per day - of poverty. To achieve these two indicators, Nepal needs to bring down the percentages of people below the poverty line and with less than $1 income per day to 21 and 17 respectively by 2015. If the percentage of poor people is really decreasing, then why are the cases of suicide due to poverty, which were unheard of until some time ago, unfolding in the rural backwater? It is because, development analysts say, the poverty gap is widening, pushing more people in rural villages to the brink of family breakdown, starvation and suicidal activities. Contrary to what the indicators of hunger
and extreme poverty, determined on the basis of national averages, suggest, the intensity of poverty has indeed deepened. Going by the NPC´s own report, social and geographical variances in poverty are quite alarming. According to a report published by Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) in 2009, the poverty incidence in rural areas is 28.5%, almost four times higher than in urban areas where it stands just at 7.6%. There has not been any significant progress by the government in bridging the gap between rural and urban areas, proven by the fact that the poverty gap gauged in 2009 was almost the same as in 2005. Similarly, the poverty reduction rate in the rural areas is slower than in urban areas, according to the same 2009 CBS report. “The national poverty rate has obviously come down,” said a development analyst, closely associated with the NPC in formulating policies. “However, the poverty gap between the rural and urban areas is widening steadfastly.” The NPC and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) cannot easily overlook their powerful arguments. Indeed, the UNDP, which tracks the poverty incidence across the globe, too, is reportedly considering a new way of accurately assessing poverty. The World Bank (WB) has proposed $1.25 as the new average daily income. As per this new daily average income, which many development analysts and economists say could really be an appropriate standard to
KASHISH DAS SHRESTHA
Vast economic disparity is rampant in Nepal. Seen here, a section of the Birgunj community in Nepal's Central-Southern region.
figure out the number of poor people, the incidence of poverty in Nepal is starkly higher than what the NPC has proudly mentioned in its report. Pushkar Bajracharya, one of the members of the NPC, independently conducted a study in 2009 by using the yet-to-be-endorsed average daily income of $1.25. According to Bajracharya’s study, Nepal’s poverty has actually increased, not decreased. Today, 41.3% people in Nepal earn only $1.25 a day. In 1990, 33.5% of Nepalis would earn $1 a day. “Given the ever-soaring inflation rate, it is important to redefine the average daily income,” Bajracharya says. “And, when the redefined average daily income is taken into consideration, Nepal’s poverty rate is worse now than it was in 1990.” Even when the newly-redefined average daily income of $1.25 is put in place, it is still not an accurate way to assess poverty level. In the past 10 years, food prices in Nepal’s local markets have sky-rocketed, making it hard for people to make ends meet. Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)’s latest data shows the inflation rate has increased by almost 14% in the past year. The rise in inflation over the last 10
years is even more terrible. Given the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) price deflator, if a commodity would cost Rs 1 in 2000, it now costs Rs 1.87 in local markets. By this simple calculation, the inflation rate has shot up by almost 87% between 2000 and 2010. When prices of essential items are moving up so quickly in local markets, it is pretty obvious that the same old universal daily average income of $ 1 daily is not relevant any longer. Population Section Director of Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Rudra Suwal, who has recently published a research-based book on Nepal’s resources gap, says, “Even the newlyproposed average daily income of $125 is not useful in Nepal’s context as it is not in tune with the rise in the last 10 years’ inflation rate.” And, there is a new revelation made by Oxford University researchers, which has triggered a fresh debate over the way to assess poverty level. Unlike other studies, the Oxford study not only considers people’s average income or financial capacity to buy necessary food calories but also their access to basic health care, sanitation and education among other factors.
As per the Oxford study, the percentage of Nepal’s poor people is around 65%. This somewhat explains the riddle of poverty-triggered suicide incidents. In rural villages, pregnant women are dying simply because there is no cesarean service at nearby health facilities. Last year, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal rescued a pregnant woman, who was likely to die due to over-bleeding caused by pregnancy complications, in Rukum. But, there are hundreds of such women who fall into the jaws of death while undergoing labor pain due to the lack of basic health care. Around that same time, around 400 people died of diarrhea in various mid and far western districts, mainly Jajarkot, because they had no access to potable water. They were dependent on local rivers, contaminated with their own feces, for water. And, the drop out rate among primary school children is very high. Such is the situation of Nepal’s poverty. Ironically, the government seems complacent; and flaunts a falselyprepared report. Now, the government must seriously think why there are cases of suicide owing to poverty despite ‘the decline’ in the poverty rate. 29 January 2011
POLITICAL REPORT CARD
The rising culture of impunity in Nepal text by Jagannath Lamichhane
On January 25, 2011, Nepal will come under scrutiny for the first time under the UN human rights council’s universal periodic review system. If the government still fails to make progress in addressing impunity in Nepal, some major cases of political and security involvement could be referred to the international criminal court.
O
n December 13, 2010, the midnight drunkard debate at the Tiger Tops Resort in Chitwan, Sauraha, between former prince, Paras Shah and Rubel Chaudhary, the Bangladeshi son-in-law of deputy prime minister, Sujata Koirala, became the latest example of rising impunity in Nepal. Both the parties involved in the debate gave a series of false information to the police, media and the general public, and finally, the case was dismissed given their high social status and political clout. It gave the impression that the Ranas and Shahs, the people who are in power, are above the law. Nepal has a long and deep history of impunity. Right since democracy took its roots in 1950, state agencies have been on a campaign of kidnapping and disappearances against dissidents. After King Mahendra imposed the ‘partyless’ panchayat system in 1960, there was a dramatic increase in the cases of disappearances. As documented in a report published by the Information Sector Service Centre (INSEC) ‘Impaired Accountability: State of disappearance in Nepal’, according to the findings of Committee to Find Disappeared Persons during the Restoration of Democracy, at least 27 people were disappeared 30 yzine.com.np
by the state during the Panchayat era (1960-1990) and 7 other people were disappeared by the state security forces following arrests in connection with the Bomb Scandal of 1985. The report has stated that 5 of them have been killed. ‘The committee submitted its report to the then prime minister, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai on April 21, 1991. Unfortunately, the report could not get implemented. However, regarding the number of people disappeared at the hands of the Panchayat government, human rights activists have different views. Some state that the number of disappeared during that time could be more than 200.’ The families of the people who disappeared the Panchayat era, are waiting for their return. For example, it has been more than 25 years since Saket Mishra, a democratic fighter of Nepal, was arrested and disappeared at the hands of the Panchayat government, along with four of his friends. His mother, now 75, is still waiting for her son to come back. In the course of those 25 years, there has been a sea of political changes in Nepal, but the misery in the general population has been manifold, so people like Mishra and their families have largely been forgotten. It was expected that after the restoration of democracy in 1990, the acts of kidnapping and disappearances would come to an end. But, it did not happen. Following the start of the Maoists’ war, not only the state but the Maoists further institutionalised the culture of extrajudicial killings and disappearances by non-state actors during their 10-year insurgency (1996-2006). According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), more than 1,300 people are still missing as a result of that conflict. The ICRC has published a list of their names and circulated it widely. A study by the international body found that the overriding need among families of those arrested or disappeared is to be told officially what happened to their missing relatives. The ICRC is submitting detailed cases to the former
parties to the conflict, along with any information that could facilitate their investigations. It is working with forensic and legal experts and institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission ‘to build up the country’s capacity to perform exhumations and to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons’. Another problem is that, despite the disappeared receiving public attention, sympathy and international support, the state has so far failed to take a single step that would bring the culprits of disappearance to justice. This culture of impunity has raised many questions. The recent report, Indifference to Duty, published by Human Rights Watch and the Advocacy Forum, points out: “A central driver of impunity is failure on the part of the police to rigorously investigate cases, and in many instances, to investigate at all. Police routinely refuse to accept complaints from relatives of victims and to register first information reports (FIRs, the initial complaints to police which formally initiate investigations ); even when FIRs are registered, police and prosecutors routinely procrastinate in carrying out investigations, even in the face of orders and legal rulings by the supreme court. “Such failures are due at least in part to the continued sway of the army and Maoist forces, and to police knowledge that the Nepal army (NA) and political party officials, including Maoist officials, are unlikely to co-operate with investigations." Crime and impunity are deeply politicised in Nepal. Many perpetrators, against whom there is strong evidence of involvement in serious crimes, continue to serve in political parties and security forces; some have even been promoted and honoured by the government. The well-known case of 15-year-old Maina Sunuwar is one example. She died while in custody of the Nepali army and an officer was implicated in her murder – yet he continues to be in service. For victims of the disappeared, justice is still denied. The government argues that justice will be delivered by the yet-to-be established Disappearances Commission and Truth and Reconciliation Commission. While the 2006 comprehensive peace agreement commits to establish these commissions, there is no progress; bills to establish them are still pending in parliament. So as not to fail the peace process in Nepal, there is an urgent need to implement the recommendations put forward by the Human Rights Watch. Its report emphasises ‘the need for political leaders – with support of the United Nations, donors and influential countries – to develop a coherent and sustainable plan to strengthen the rule of law and the criminal justice system to end impunity. Ensuring that abusive officers and soldiers are prosecuted and removed from the ranks of the army and Maoists is crucial’. On January 25, 2011, Nepal will come under scrutiny for the first time under the UN human rights council’s universal periodic review system. If the government still fails to make progress in addressing impunity in Nepal, some major cases of political and security involvement could be referred to the international criminal court. There is no doubt that to the family members of the disappeared who are endlessly waiting for their loved ones, like the mother of Saket Mishra, justice must be ensured but for victims, justice still looks like a long wait.
ALBUM REVIEW
1974 AD - Aath Athara reviewed by Kashish Das Shrestha
The rearranged version of 1974 AD with Adrian doing the vocals full time and leaving the drumming to Sanjay works out fine for the band as the album doesn’t sound bad at all. The album opens with sweet muted guitar pickings on a side drum heavy beat. The verses, on Timi Bina, flow wonderfully but the bridge falls into an abrupt chaos before breaking into a chorus of hums. However, a warm e-bow brings the song back into its well crafted verse, which is all too short lived. The song exits with Adrian passionately humming over guitar works that are at this point most evocative of U2 than at any other point in the song. The single Yaha is 80s hard rock, heavy with wailing guitars and vocals about violent politics in the countryside . The third song, Aja Kaha, is a a shift in sound again - modern pop rock with a gentle mix of what sounds like both electric and acoustic guitars. An easy listen and a style yet undone by 31 January 2011
Nepali musicians but heard in the subcontinent for at least a decade now. Bardan opens up really well with Adrian singing over a mellow and crafty guitar base with plucking, but the bridge is again abrupt and jarring and the guitar solo takes on a mix of classic rock styles before Manose Singh adds in a wild flurry of notes on the flute followed by a 70s rock styled riffs for much of the remaining song. Ma Ka Hun is a 90s hard rock track with heavy distorted riffs. The Rain Song opens beautifully with Manose playing a short flute melody over a simple sounding acoustic guitar riff. Then the moment is lost when for some reason Adrian jumps in with an overwhelming burst of ragas that takes the melody off track. Over all the rearranged version of 1974 AD with Adrian doing the vocals full time and leaving the drumming to Sanjay works out fine for the band as the album doesn’t sound bad at all. And the absence of Phiroj isn’t very noticeable because the sound is a lot more western than any time before. And that generally turns out sounding good. However, it is difficult to understand the band’s urge to break into jarring bridges and choruses that interrupt otherwise wonderful songs. Their general attempts at hard rock remains sounding less than convincing, much like their previous tries. The album does show Manoj maturing as a guitarist with a greater control of his craft and increased versatility. In fact, some of the album’s best moments are a result of his little hooks, plucking, riffs, and a fairly good selection of tones.
Nepathya – Aina Jhyaal reviewed by Bikash Rai Nepathya, arguably Nepal’s biggest contemporary bands, is out with a new album, Aina Jhyaal, their ninth, and it kicks off with Palla Gharka. This is a pretty good start for a folk rock band and album, featuring a melodic blend of rock and the musical flavours from the Karnali and Gandaki region. The song is about life in the rural areas of Nepal, snow, landslides and the life of the common folk. The guitar solos in this track sound good and the madal is a plus for the song. The bass slap makes it even more delicious. Amrit Gurung on vocals sounds very rustic, and makes the song very believable and truly felt. Saalaijyu, another melody from the western region has been collected from the Magar community of Baglung and Gulmi, and carries the fragrance of Saptagandaki. The song is about a person’s love for his village. Jogale huncha bheta, the next track is a chukta flavoured song from the Gandaki region, collected from a village in south Gorkha. Though the song is from the west, listeners are familiar with its variation in the East, well known as Maruni. This song is very bluesy. It’s a happy go lucky song about the good memories of life. This is one song that can get your feet tapping and make you want to dance along. This track can be considered the highlight of the album. 32 yzine.com.np
Aina Jhyaal is typical to the Nepathya mould, featuring a good mix of folk and rock. The theme though differs from their last one that was primarily about the pains and sufferings of the armed conflict. The fourth track, Siran ma Photo chha is a Tamang selo originating in the settlements north of Kathmandu. According to Amrit, it was collected from a group of Tamang porters during a night stop at a trekking lodge in Langtang. The song is romantic yet sad sounding, but at the same time can get your feet thumping as most selos tend to do. Mero Hajur, the fifth track is a love song, written and composed by Amrit during a freezing cold December night in Lobuse while trekking in the Everest region. He says that he wrote it when he couldn’t sleep because of the cold. It’s very soothing with a guitar solo that has a different tone from the rest of the tracks. Agline Surma, the next track, is about the conflicts present in human life, with nature being used metaphorically. This track has a varying tempo, sometimes getting upbeat and aggressive through power chords only to settle down at the end. Aina Jhyaal, the title track was written by the National Poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire in the mid 1950s. After 56 years the song gets a new lease of life. It is a song about struggle: the struggle of life, the struggle for freedom. This track can very well be a commentary to the nation’s on-going political deadlock and the struggle for a way out. Yesto thauma is a song written by Amrit during his trek to Lo Manthang. In this track he recounts the hardships faced by the people of the Upper Mustang region. It is Nepathya’s heavy rock tribute to the people there. The second last track, Nasai Chyaba...., which means beautiful village is about the Manang region. And the final track, Ho Ho Baba Ho Ho, is a lullaby with a nice blend of the madal. All in all, Aina Jhyaal is typical to the Nepathya mould, featuring a good mix of folk and rock. The theme though differs from their last one that was primarily about the pains and sufferings of the armed conflict. This one is pure folk, weaned from, and woven in the countryside.
VOICE
lxhf]cfh dnfO{ blnt eg]/ s;}n]klg e]befj ub}{g Dinesh works as a radio presenter at Radio Jagaran, Butwal, and as a part of his job, he has brought to light many issues and stories of social and political relevance to his community and people, but what many people do not know is Dinesh’s own story. Reproduced below is an excerpt from Search For Common Ground’s upcoming publication on the role of radio in peace building in Nepal.
Radio’s Strength
Dinesh Prasad Harijan I
belong to one of the most backward castes in Nepal. Many may not drink the water that I have touched. I got a chance to sit for the SLC exams in 2061. I was the first in my village community to do so. To sit for the exam, I took in a rent a room in a Brahmin community in the district headquarters at Bhairawa where my centre was. The houseowner happened to be the centre head of my exam centre. While checking the candidates in the exam centre he looked at me. He came to know of my caste looking at my admit card. Thereafter he flogged me right in the examination hall. Calling up his home, he ordered my belongings to be thrown on the road. After that day’s exam got over, I held a press conference over the fact that the centre head had discriminated on the basis of my caste. Later, that news got printed on local newspapers and those published out of Kathmandu. After giving my SLC exams, I got into journalism. Meanwhile, the Maoists kidnapped me. Thereafter the villagefolk were scared of me. The young people in the village all went to India during the day. They returned home only in the evening. The Maoists made me set off bombs in three places. In early 2064, during the second
Peoples’ Movement, the Maoists set me free. Thereafter I decided to pursue journalism from Butwal. I started doing some minor reporting for Butwal’s Lumbini National Daily. Sometimes I also did features. Meanwhile, Nepal’s first dalit-managed FM, Radio Jagaran opened. I got a chance to work there. I continued my career and studies from there. I started producing a discussion program on the differences between dalits and non-dalits and on human rights. I gave utmost importance to the practice of untouchability by non-dalits on the dalits in the terai region. Meanwhile, an election was to be held for the school management committee of the Peparwaha Primary School in Kapilavastu district. A Brahmin and a Harijan filed their nomination for the president’s post. However, the head mistress of the school, Sharda Pandey proposed the name of Krishna Chaudhary (Kurmi) for the post. During the election, the Harijan candidate won. But the school’s head mistress, teachers and elders did not let the elected president stay in the school. They didn’t allow him to work. He was restricted from going outside the village. They threatened to flog the elected president. Hearing about it, I went there from
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Butwal with two other journalists. After a discussion with the district education officer and a human rights worker, the program got broadcast. It also got covered in newspapers. Later, after an investigation by the education office and concerned officials of the education ministry, a workable environment was created for Santosh Harijan. Santosh Harijan accepted his post. He became the first dalit president of a school managing committee in the entire district. Meanwhile, in Asar 2065, Search For Common Ground invited two people from Radio Jagaran for a training. The radio sent Deepa Bardewa and me along. We returned after a five-day training. The profile of a program called Farakilo Dharti (Wide Earth) got drawn up. The same year, Butwal’s Tinau river broke its banks and swept away 250 houses of a squatter settlement on its banks. Four people died. The state of the squatters worsened. We raised the issue of solving the problems of the squatters on Farakilo Dharti. On this issue we conducted a discussion between Water Resources Minister, Bishnu Poudel, the head of the municipality and a representative of the squatters. Water Resources minister,
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Bishnu Poudel, promised to start a Tinau river embankment project. In the fiscal year 2065/66, some amount was set aside by the finance ministry for the Tinau river embankment project. Thus, after the program was broadcast, work started on stopping the erosion by the Tinau. Another issue we raised is child marriage. Child marriage is widespread in Rupandehi district. Due to this, female violence and incidents of dowry is on the rise. Girls married early become mothers when they are still minors. In this situation they often lose their lives during pregnancy or delivery. In Asoj 2066, we brought together the chief district officer, representatives from political parties and concerned authorities for a discussion on this issue. After the talks, it was decided to form child marriage abolition committees in villages. Right after that, with support from Care Nepal, challenge plans were held for eight months. It worked against the practices of child marriage and dowry. In Asar 2067, even a district child marriage abolition committee was formed. The committee has been formed by listeners of radio program, Farakilo Dharti. To stop child marriages, they
6]lnlehg / OG6/g]6 ;lhn} pknAw x'g] ljnf;L zx/L hLjgdf /]l8of]sf] Tolt dxTj gxf]nf, t/ ;fdflhs kl/jt{gsf nflu ufp“3/df /]l8of]sf] clxn] klg plQs} dxTj 5 hlt klxnf lyof] .
have started a campaign to send children to school. Thus, Farakilo Dharti has played a very important role in reducing social violence. A lot of transformation has come in me due to Search For Common Ground’s training. I have started playing a role as a mediator in local level conflict management. Now, no one discriminates against me for being a dalit. Dinesh Prasad Harijan is currently working in Radio Jagaran, Rupandehi’s community radio station.
SPECIAL PHOTO FEATURE
BEING NEPALI P
erhaps the debate was always on. It just is so glaringly loud now. What is Nepali? And what is not. As the country heads towards federalism, its people struggle to ascertain their claim over land, resources and power. As a result, people’s identities are being pushed to the forefront, they are being recognized. The voices across the country that have been lying suppressed till now, are clamouring for their rightful place in – Nepal. Various identities are coming out in the open. They see the light of the day, so to speak. Madhesis, Newars, Dalits, Third Gender, Tharus, Women, Far-Western, Pahadis, Bahuns, Limbus, Farmers and even Sex Workers, Teachers, Drivers, Maoists, UMLs... Of course, all these identities appear to be overshadowing the Nepali identity. Perhaps the debate was always on. It just is so glaringly loud now. What are the things that would best represent all of us – as who we are, and as Nepali. Does the Sagarmatha best represent Nepal, or is it too Pahadi? Are the plains too Indian? Is the Nepali language Nepali enough to represent Nepal? Is the Dhaka Topi, again too Pahadi? This perhaps is the time when we should celebrate all that's Nepali - people, cultures, languages, religions, music, symbols, anything... When various identities are pulling us away from the Nepali identity, it is perhaps time when the 'Nepali' in us stamps itself over every other identity we may identify with. These are some photos, each Nepali in its own unique way.
Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka took this photograph last year during Dashain, somewhere near Bharatpur, Mahattori, when he was at his mamaghar. “The subject worked at my mama's farm, but is now in Punjab, India working as a migrant worker. He is a Madhesi but is proud to say that he is a Nepali as well. He, however, feels sad to say the same thing in front of Pahadi people of Kathmandu as they think he is from India due to the colour of his skin.”
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Sumeet Shakya Sumeet is into business. He has been photographing family events since 2000, but has been doing photography seriously after buying his first DSLR (Canon 50D) about two years ago. Since then he's been busy working on group photo exhibition with Galleria CUC and NepalPhotography.org. Sumeet took this photo at Gabahal Roadside, Lalitpur during the procession of Rato-Machhindra Nath Jatra on Wednesday, 21st April 2010 at 7:32 PM. “Nepal is an agriculture based economy, where more than 90% of the people, even at this age of science and advance technology, heavily depend on agriculture for their daily sustenance. Agriculture here is still primitive and heavily dependent on the monsoons. Each year, the Nepali farmers start thinking about the rains long before they actually arrive, wondering whether there will be enough that year. The only way out is to pray to the rain god for a bountiful harvest. This photo is about one of the rituals followed during the festival till date and has direct links to past incidents. Thus, our present-day culture, and Nepalis in general, has a blood and flesh relation with the Nepal of yore.”
Parmi Shakya Parmi is from Pokhara, but presently in Kathmandu pursuing her studies in Interior Designing. She's been interested in photography for a very long but only got to practice it after she was able to buy her first point and shoot camera (Canon SX 200 IS) about 6 months ago. In this photo she has shot her grandma's warm hands, busy preparing butter-lamps. “At the age of 90, she complains about her eyesight, about her hearing, about her physical weakness and so many other things but still prepares butter-lamps every day, which is offered to her God each morning. That's 'aastha' faith, which is very integral in the older generation in Nepal but lacking in the new one.”
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NikhIl Gurung Nikhil is a final year student of Mechanical Engineering at Kathmandu University. Nikhil took this photo about a year back in Lumbini. It shows a Buddhist monk reading the scriptures under a pipal tree. “Lumbini being Buddha's birthplace, he is a Nepali. A Buddhist monk can be found anywhere, but the first thing that comes to your mind looking at one is the Buddha himself, and his birthplace. So, you can take a monk/ Buddha away from Nepal, but you cannot take the Nepali away from him.”
Alok Pokharel Alok is a lawyer working as a project officer at an NGO, Citizen's Campaign for Right to Information, and as Special Area Project Director at Rotaract Club of Kathmandu. His hobbies and interests include, photography, voluntary work on human rights and democratic issues and exploring Nepal and its frontiers and writings. Alok took this photo of Bote dai a few years back on the banks of the Narayani river, Nawalparasi District. The subject belongs to the Bote community, whose traditional occupation is fishery and boating in the river. “The Bote community represents one of the many ethnicities and cultures that make up Nepal. The photo illustrates dedication of Bote dai towards his traditional occupation and towards his family for daily subsistence. This is how many Nepalis are living in most of the remote parts of Nepal. The Nepali way of life is not only about the need of better future through education and employment, but also about the importance of following the footsteps of our forefathers, fulfilling our daily needs and continuing our customs and practices.”
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Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka Gaurav is a self taught photographer and the founder of www. nepalphotography.org, which promotes photography in Nepal and has the mission of publishing 100,000 photographs online. Tattooed tempo driver: Gaurav took this photograph on his way home from Pulchowk. “Sitting next to the driver, I noticed his tattooed hand and asked him if I could photograph him. The driver agreed to have only his hand photographed and refused to give me his name. He felt that starting with his name, things would move on to his caste, religion, home town and so on. So, he just wanted to be a Nepali, working and earning for his family. He told me he loved being called, 'ek aam Nepali'.”
Muslim bead seller: Gaurav took this photograph during one of his visits to Mangal Bazaar. “I found out that the subject was a Muslim seeing a sign on the opposite house where he was coming out from. For me this is Nepali because it's not only daura suruwal clad people who reflect Nepalipan. Nepal has numerous faces and this is one of them.”
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COLUMN
And then there are the Nepalis in India There are Nepalis across the border, too. The writer talks about being one of them.
I
happened to be in India when Prashant Tamang – he the Nepalispeaking Indian, he of the hills, and he of our own kind – started his rise to the top to eventually become the third Indian Idol. I was in Nepal when Mr. Tamang won the Indian Idol. The mass hysteria Mr. Tamang provoked in Nepal wasn’t very different from what he generated in the Nepalispeaking belt of India. Everywhere I went in Kathmandu, eager ‘volunteers’ accosted me to part with some cash they could send across the border to vote for Mr. Tamang. In Gangtok, Sikkim, a dozen commissions had been formed to ensure that this man from the hills squashed his opponents. Donation amounts had been mandated for officers (IRs. 1,500) and for peons (IRs. 500). Loudspeakers blared from the traffic-clogged Kathmandu streets making a case for this Nepali, the first ever to go this far in any competition. In a busty in Kalimpong, the Dashain celebrations following the culmination of the competition were a subdued affair because people had exhausted their resources by sending far more text messages than their income permitted. Mr. Tamang had advantages: One, he appealed to the emotions of a people who were desperate to have one of their own on the national stage. Something this big had never happened in Darjeeling; it had never happened to someone from Nepali-speaking India. And Mr. Tamang’s platform was our own to show the rest of the country that we were Indians after all. Second, he had affiliations with two countries – one that
he belonged to and another with which he shared his language. One of which he was a national and another with which he had more in common customs- and culture-wise than the country he was a citizen of. Both the countries voted with passion for Mr. Tamang. When he, therefore, won the Indian Idol by what’s been touted as the biggest margin ever – not that the numbers were officially released – people both sides of the border said in jubilation: Aeouta Nepali ta bhayo Indian Idol. And the debates would start. “No, Prashant Tamang isn’t Nepali.” “No, Darjeeling isn’t a part of Nepal.” “Yes, he speaks Nepali.” “Yes, he first identifies himself as a Nepali.” “Yes, he’s a Tamang.” “It can’t get more Nepali than that.” “He may not be from Nepal, but he’s no dhoti, so that makes him Nepali all right.” “Yes, I am proud that jey nai bhaye pani, the Indian Idol is Nepali.” The more serious ones on the Indian side of the border would pontificate: Prashant is Gorkhali. He’s not Nepali. And I’d try hard to stifle a laugh.
THE NEPALI CONNECTION Until the royal massacre occurred, Nepal to many of us in India meant Kathmandu, the easiest ‘big’ place to go to without having to worry about being mugged by those ‘Indians’ in Kolkata or Delhi. It meant Dhulabari and the anxiety ‘smuggling’ our Chinesegood purchases at the checkpoint in Kakkarvitta inspired. It meant more
bang for your buck because the IRs. is so delightfully pitted against the NRs. in the exchange game. For the religious, it meant Lumbini and Pashupatinath. Crossing the borders was easy, winter vacations to Kathmandu and Pokhara were just an overnight bus trip away, and reasserting our superiority about belonging to the more ‘powerful’ country, an altruistic gesture from which provided Nepal with everything from salt to roads, was rampant. Then June 1, 2001, happened. It was surreal – all those killings, the angry crowds out in the streets of Kathmandu, the conspiracy theories – and it was all we talked about in Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. The bloodbath reminded us Nepalispeaking Indians about the intensity of our bond with the neighbouring country. We were hard hit by the news, admitting often that it affected us more than the Gandhi deaths. Nepalispeaking Indians who had lived through Rajiv Gandhi’s and Indira Gandhi’s assassinations remarked that the entire royal family’s – “so what if it was the royal family from another country? It’s Nepal nee ta” – being wiped off affected them far more than the killings of prime ministers – “they weren’t Nepali nee ta” – of their own country. The unfortunate incident reiterated how not very different we were from Nepal. We were similar in almost every way, chappar/kausi-type inflections be damned. We had more in common with the Nepalis of Nepal than we did with the Indians in India. We had always known this common ground existed, but we also took 39 January 2011
it for granted. And we made amends. We mourned. The Bhanu Jayanti celebrations that year in Gangtok were brought down a notch as a mark of respect for the deceased. In the solid display of solidarity – of embracing our similarities and shrugging off our differences – we let the Nepalis know that we understood their loss, that it was in some way our loss, too. Many of us shaved our heads. A lot of us cried.
THE GORKHALAND CONUNDRUM We were aware of the dhoti bashing that went on in Nepal, and we often joined in, nonchalantly distancing ourselves from India and Indians – you know the non-hill Indians, the plainsmen, the dhotis, the madisheys – where it was convenient. Having to stress on our nationality as well as our ethnicity, especially when we went to the bigger Indian cities, was a minor irritant. It seemed all right, we thought – if Bengalis sometimes had to identify themselves as Indians or Bangladeshis, why not us, too? But then the Bengalis had a state called West Bengal – and our region, after being hacked, splintered and appended here and there – belonged to this state of West Bengal. We didn’t share our language with the majority in the state. We didn’t belong in that state. We wanted a new state, and basing the demand on our ethnicity was a good idea. The Nepali-speaking people of India would have to have a new state. And an easy way to mitigate debate fodder from those opposed to our demand for a separate state was to sever all connections with Nepal. “Nepal, oh, Nepal, it’s a different country that we have nothing to do with,” we’d say. Yes, we had nothing in common except almost everything. We really had zilch in common. That way, we the Nepali-speaking people hoped to convince the world we were more Indian and less Nepali. If the world demanded more by way of explanation, we excavated – and maybe added a touch here and there to – our past, relegating the Nepali link to the background and shoving the glorious
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dnfO{ d]/f] ctLt, d]/f] oyfy{ / d]/f k'vf{x?n] u/]sf] ;+3if{k|lt uj{ 5 . t/, To;f] x'Fb}df ‘g]kfnL’af6 ‘uf]vf{nL’ e}xfNg'kg]{ jf g]kfn;“u s'g}klg ;DaGw g/flvxfNg'kg]{ sf/0f eg] d;Fu 5}g . history in India to the foreground. Prashant Tamang’s Indian Idol win was, therefore, just what we needed. Mr. Tamang won an Indian competition – a contest only Indians could enter. He proved to the world we were Indians, showed them we weren’t from Nepal. 'Gorkhali' was bandied around with more impetus than before. We waited and watched for the country to sit up and take notice of this newfound disassociation with Nepal. Little happened. We’d have to find another way to attract India’s attention. So, just like that, like the Maoists do in Nepal, we killed Madan Tamang. We weren’t very different after all.
NEPALI? PSSSHHH, GORKHALI. I am the son of a Nepali-speaking Indian father and a Nepali mother. When asked where I am from, I usually say I am half-Indian and half-Nepali. I have family both sides of the border. On almost every visit to India, I squeeze in a couple of days for Nepal. I think Nepali is a beautiful language and marvel at its penetrability. NonNepali speakers pick it up in no time! I think it’s ridiculous that our food – so wholesome, nutritious and healthful – is rapidly becoming more and more a clone of North Indian cuisine. Every wedding I attend, I reflect on the dwindling Nepali-ness in the foods. Nepali cuisine has become infiltrated, and revival attempts often boomerang because people have been conditioned to expect grease-heavy, lard-laden North Indian food. It’s as though Nepali food isn’t “rich” enough. I think the daura suluwar is a great outfit although it’d be nice if someone
did something about the wrinkly crater the pants form at the bottom. I am not about to wear the costume every day, or even during Dashain, to make a point, though. Nepali women to me are the most beautiful women in the world. I didn’t vote for Prashant Tamang but didn’t judge anyone who did. I was curious about Manisha Koirala’s wedding but didn’t go trawling for pictures and details. I don’t care about Mahendra and Gyanendra. The situation in Nepal pains me, but the Maoists’ high-handedness doesn’t anger me. I get warm and fuzzy when I see the map of Gorkhaland. It’s so colourful and full of hope. I am very concerned about the state of Darjeeling, about its man-made beauty somehow not complimenting its God-given abundance, about where it was 20 years ago and where it is now. West Bengal’s step-daughterly treatment of it bothers me. I may get goosebumps when I hear some kids lisp ‘Jana Gana Mana’, but that doesn’t mean I feel safer in a big Indian city than I do in Kathmandu. I am more comfortable with the customs and rituals of the Nepali Hindu than I am with those of the Indian Hindu. Just because I am from Gangtok, in India, doesn’t mean they aren’t mine. The customs of the Nepali Hindu are my customs, but I am Indian. And there’s nothing wrong with that – nothing wrong with pledging allegiance to one country and sharing likeness with another. What’s wrong is completely disregarding our shared history, our shared everything. I am proud of my past, where I come from and the struggles of my ancestors. I don’t think it’s necessary to suddenly find myself not a Nepali but a Gorkhali – whosoever decided to use the term to replace ‘Nepali’ could have been a little creative, could’ve chosen something slightly less confusing – with little to do with Nepal. I shall not attempt to reinvent my history – and that of my people in India – by snip-snipping my association with Nepal. I am a Nepali-speaking Indian, and I am not about to chisel out a different identity from what I am simply to prove to my country that I belong here.
Y! EXPRESS
And Guernica goes on by Ujjwala Maharjan Picasso, in his masterpiece Shows to me, we, us Guernica In black, white and grey In lights and in shades In lines and in shapes He shows Wars and horrors of war The monstrous presidential bulls The wounded horse warriors The dying birds of peace And the victims, the suffering people He shows Severed limbs, exploding bulbs Broken swords, breaking news He shows A dejected dragging his leg along A woman trapped, burning alive A small child dangling dead In the arms of the wailing mother
He shows People dying, people dead People crying, hands raised Asking why? Why this? Why me? Why we? Why us?
So picture this, People you love, people you hate People you barely know, but remember their face People around you, people beside you Can you picture All these loving, laughing, living people Dead?
Picasso painted Guernica In 1937 It’s now 2010 And Guernica’s still going on
Burnt black Ashened white As your picture turns grey
You see the numbers in the headlines 1 shot, 10 dead, 1000 killed, 10,000 bombed See those numbers, they’re not numbers Those numbers, they’re people Like me, we, us But we still just see numbers
Ujjwala Maharjan is a Kathmandu based correspondent with Republica National Daily who shares a passion for poetry. She is one of the five winners of the “QC Awards 2010: The Poetry Slam” organised by Quixote’s Cove: the bookshop in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy.
BLOGROLL
Big Nick at Large ‘He is also quite tall’, ends this blogger’s profile, and it would be hard to miss him in a crowd, in Nepal or elsewhere. Moving beyond this physical attribute, Nick Willett-Jeffries is a fresh graduate from Swarthmore College as a history major. He was recently in Nepal as a gap-year student, and his blog, Big Nick at Large, is about experiences during his gap-year. Big Nick at Large currently covers Nick's experience in Nepal, but as he moves on, he intends to cover Ghana and the Seychelles, whenever and wherever he has Internet access. So far, Internet access does not appear to be a problem, so, he
has managed to post quite regularly, and about a wide range of topics, from Shyaphaleys to Kutumba and their brand of music. Quite a varied fare, but what makes it interesting is Nick's personal observations, little titbits seemingly insignificant to someone used to the Nepali way of things, but quite intriguing otherwise. http://bignickatlarge.blogspot.com/
41 January 2011
REPORT
Nepalese Print Media in the Age of Online Publication text by Dinesh Kafle Global shut down In recent years, with the growth of online media, print media has seen a continuous decline, especially in the developed countries. Last year, the Washington Post Company shed the well-known Newsweek off its ownership owing to its continuous loss of circulation and an impending bankruptcy. According to media reports, Newsweek's circulation shrunk from 3.14 million copies in 2000 to two million in 2009, and lost $70m in ad revenue in 2009. Worse, in recent years the famous publisher Conde Nast has closed many of its magazines, including Men's Vogue, Golf For Women, Domino, Portfolio, Cookie and Gourmet among others. The fact that Conde Nast had to shut down even a single magazine epitomises the industry’s hard times since all of their magazines have rich legacy. There are many more magazines and newspapers which have either shut down completely, or reduced to online publishing only. In the developed countries, media practitioners seem to have begun to feel that they have dug their own graves by going online without thinking of its potential effect on the print side. There are debates on whether they should have made online reading of news completely free or should have charged a fee. Some newspapers now argue that the past mistake is not beyond correction. The New York Times has introduced paid subscription schemes to its readers on its website beginning January this year. It will, however, give full online access to the readers who have subscribed to
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its print edition. Other newspapers are likely to follow suit. This will then shape the future of online media, and also redefine the relationship between online and print media. The famous magazine Granta has exercised such a system of limited access to its readers for a long time now. Interestingly, quite contrary to the scene in the West, the Nepalese print media is burgeoning at a rapid speed. While the established newspapers seem to have firm hold of the market, newcomers like Nagarik, Republica, Karobar and others have also thrived well. Tabloids have taken leaps to become broadsheets, and print magazines have mushroomed. So, what is it that keeps the Nepali print media from shrinking, and rather gives it a rise?
The print/online media debate in Nepal Internet connectivity is still not very well established in Nepal to actually lead to a revolution in mass communications. Moreover, the more than 11 hours of load-shedding—which may extend to 18 hours a day in the near future—does not let a reader depend on the Internet to do his/her reading online. So the reader has to stick to newspapers as the most reliable source of news and current affairs. This leaves little possibility for online media to overpower the print media. On the debate regarding print and online media, Dinesh Rai, veteran writer, says, “Some major newspapers in the U.S. are folding up because most people
“Ideological magazines are bankrolled by the propaganda arm of the political parties who have deep pockets. They rate low in terms of credibility, but contribute to the GDP because of the jobs they give to printing presses.” Kunda Dixit Editor, Nepali Times
read online. Here it's only the younger generation (basically the students) who read online. We the older generation like to start the day by reading a printed newspaper; it's a ritual we can't do away with.” According to a UNICEF report, only one person out of a hundred used Internet in Nepal by the year 2007. Wikipedia puts the current percentage
SWAPNIL ACHARYA
“Major newspapers in the U.S. are folding up because most people read online. But in Nepal, it's mostly the young people who read online. We the older generation like to start the day by reading a printed newspaper; it's a ritual we can't do away with” Dinesh Rai Veteran Writer of Nepali Internet users at 2%, while in the United States, 72% of the population uses the Internet. The number of newspaper readers comes to a lesser percentage, as, not everyone uses the Internet for reading news. Meanwhile, the print readership of Nepal is estimated at almost a million, which is quite significant as compared to online
readership. Dr. Pradeep Bhattarai, feature editor, Annapurna Post, remarks that Nepal is not yet prepared for a revolution in online news. He asserts, “We do not have a language of online media. What the Nepalese online media use is the language of the print media, which makes it difficult to communicate.” His contention is that the online media, as a unique mode of communication, should have a style of its own. By this he hints at the style, he hints that language of Nepalese print media contains certain kind of literariness, which is incompatible to the format of online media. “So, the first precondition for the online media to grow as an effective medium of communication is a clear demarcation between the languages of the online media and the print media”, adds Dr Bhattarai. “Otherwise, print media will continue to enjoy high social recognition while, for lack of a unique style, online media remains as a secondary source of communication.” Online media, however, has had some affect on the readership of the metropolitan cities who frequently use the Internet. Many publication houses have both print and online presence, and they carry the same news in both the media. So, frequent online readers complain about the repetition of the same news on print, which is already updated on the website. To break such a monotony, newspapers need to review the way in which they present their content. Also, with FM radio and television penetrating metropolitan
as well as small town Nepal, with their frequent news updates and 'breaking news' the significance of print news is put into question. This adds to the necessity of the print media to carry more in-depth analyses of the stories. Sudeep Shrestha, weekend editor of Nagarik daily, asserts that the print media caters to the aspiration of people to know more about things and events. “The news provided by the radio, TV or online media works only as an appetizer. Newspapers should serve the readers with the main course through in-depth investigative news and follow-ups stories.” To meet the growing demands of the time, with the advent of online news reproduction, newspapers are growingly turning narrative and investigative in nature. “There is no need for Nagarik, for example, to bring out a separate magazine”, says Shrestha. “It should, even in its broadsheet format, give the feel of a magazine.”
The rise of the magazine The Nepalese media caters to the hunger of the growing middle class, 23% according to the ADB report, which aspires to update itself with the changing contours of time. The print media is catering to the aspirations of this class through the growing numbers of lifestyle and financial magazines. The growth of such magazines is determined by the economic growth of the country, the economic sector which has had a chance to see some growth lately. With their purses bulging, the middle class begins to grow hungry for fame.
43 January 2011
They want to make a statement about their middle class-ness. They want to be photographed in cheering moods, clutching sophisticated wine glasses. Magazines find quite a considerable number of readership in this class. In this case, the readership is more or less the ad-source. The middle level business class can be the major source of ad revenue to the magazine industry. In this context, there is a promising space for English magazines, as this class is growingly familiarising itself with the English language.
Mission journalism The most significant growth is seen in the publication of magazines from indigenous and marginalised groups, and the institutions affiliated to the Unified CPN (Maoist). The April Movement opened doors for people to come out of their narrow spaces and assert their identities. Matter of factly, the Nepalese media, broadcast as well as print, have given space to the voices of people of marginalised groups post the April Movement. More importantly, because of the growing access to modern technology, people from such groups have been able to publish themselves. One significant aspect is that these different identity groups have put forward their linguistic identity by publishing magazines in their own languages. Tamang Dazang (Tamang), Buinwakha (Bantawa), Magar Deep, Mundhum, Chhar Gongma (Magar) are some of the magazines affiliated to indigenous groups. Likewise, Dalit Nigarani, Dalit Samsad, and Dalit Sandesh are the magazines related to marginalised castes. After coming into mainstream politics, the Maoist party has extensively disseminated its ideology among the masses through media. Even during the insurgency, newspapers like Janadesh had been identified as being affiliated to the party. Post the April Movement, more than three dozen magazines, affiliated with the party or its sister organisations, have appeared in the market. This surely has to do with the ideological part of the Maoists. It is to be noted that the Maoists have given emphasis, apart from coercion through the gun, on the creation of ideological apparatuses of dissemination of discourse. It is the ideological intent to
44 yzine.com.np
create a discourse that the magazines related to the Maoists run with. Laal Yug, Yug Bichar, Communist Aawaj, and Laal Madhesh are some of the magazines identified with the party. These new magazines are exploring newer possibilities in the market, expanding the horizon of print media. Many of them, however, do not maintain standards even in the essential aspects like writing, editing and printing. They should pay more attention to these aspects to establish a strong culture of print media. Media stalwart Kunda Dixit, however, argues that the current influx of such magazines cannot contribute much to the shaping of a strong publishing tradition in Nepal. He says, “Ideological magazines are bankrolled by the propaganda arm of the political parties who have deep pockets. They rate low in terms of credibility, but contribute to the GDP because of the jobs they give to printing presses.”
The economics of print media An obvious question that springs up is, how does the print media sustain itself with such a boom of magazines? Pratyush Onta, media practitioner, puts it interestingly, “We all know that mere subscription cannot sustain magazines, nor can the small pie of advertisements that it shares. I am yet to find out what really sustains them.” Bharat Lal Nyachhyon, executive director of Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN), says that the private sector print media is sustained largely by advertisements. “How can it otherwise sustain with those fancy subscription offers?” he contends. “More than 80% of the print media is sustained by advertisement.” While big newspapers and magazines get some share of advertisement revenues, there are others which keep themselves running even without considerable resources. Some of the magazines that have appeared in recent years are oneman-shows, with the editor doing all the tasks of reporting to publishing to finding advertisements. Padam Lekali Bishwakarma, is a determined publisher and editor who is taking up issues of Dalits through his magazine Dalit Sandesh. He has a small workplace at his own residence, where he does all
the homework for publication on his own old computer. A little help from friends, subscription, advertisement and a little more from his pocket—these are the financial resources he uses to publish the magazine. “The magazine is an ideological movement,” says Bishwakarma, “to raise the issues of Dalits, which have, as yet, not been addressed properly.” His is an attempt to take it as a mission despite various limitations.
Not so monthly Even if many of the magazines are called monthly magazines, they, in fact, do not publish as frequently. There is a host of magazines that publish, lets say, only twice in a year—during Dashain/ Tihar and Nepali New Year. The reason is obvious, that on both these occasions, any kind of magazine is likely to get a considerable number of shubhakamana or 'greeting' ads and festival sale ads, which can pay for the publication cost, and generate some profit. Even a cursory look at the current state of media globally, shows that not only Nepal, but the whole of South Asia is experiencing a rapid increase of print media. The economic stability even during global recession, and the growth of a reading population are the driving factors. With the robust economic growth as back-up power, when even the domestic corporations can contribute to the ad-revenue, the Indian print media, too, is rising at a fast pace. The recent grandiose Indian launch of Conde Nast India Traveller, a publication of Conde Nast, which is shedding off its publications elsewhere, shows that even international publishers have seen this region not just as a promising new market, but also an alternative space to save the life of print media. In Nepal, because of the growth of a reading middle class, the silver lining in the economic cloud with a relative financial stability, lingering digital revolution, and an ideological will-power to establish discourse on issues of caste, class, ethnicity and regionalism, the print media thrives at present, with promises for a future. It is thus safe to say that while the West is writing the obituary of the “print” at the birth of the “digital”, among other reasons, the Nepalese print media is just coming of age.
CA UPDATE text by REWATI SAPKOTA
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k|0ffnLsf] d: of} bf h: tfsf] t: t} ;+Dj} wflgs ;ldltdf k7fpg' kg] { c8fgdf dfcf] jfbL 5 . Pdfn] sf cWoIf emngfy vgfn zflGt / ;+ljwfgnfO{ lgisif{df k'¥ofpg ;a} / fhgLlts bn lqmofzLn / x] sf] atfpF5g\ . pgL eG5g\, ætyflk ;xdlt cem} algg;s] n] zflGt / ;+ljwfglgdf{0fsf] sfddf l9nfO{ eO/ x] sf] 5 . lgwf{l/ t ;do leq zflGt / ;+ljwfgnfO{ lgisif{df k'¥ofO;Sgsf lglDt tLg j6f 7"nf / fhgLlts bnx?n] Ps 7fpFdf cfpg} kg] { P]ltxfl;s cfjZostf 5 .Æ pgsf cg';f/ To;sf nflu ljleGg ?kdf jftf{ / ;+jfb klg cufl8 al9/ x] sf] 5 . ;+ljwfglgdf{0f / zflGt k|lqmofdf klg kl5Nnf lbgdf ultzLntf b] vf k/ ] sf 5g\ . x'g t jftf{nfO{ ;xdlt;lxt lgisif{df k'¥ofpg' kg] { s'/ fnfO{ Oltxf;sf] cfjZostf xf] eGg klg / fhgLlts bnx? k5fl8 kb} {gg\, t/ oyfy{ To;sf] pN6f] b] lvG5 . zflGt k|lqmof 6'+UofP/ ;+ljwfg n] Vg ;xdlt Nofpg 7"nf / fhgLlts bnn] cfcfk\mgf cfwf/ kq klg Ps csf{;Fu cfbfgk|bfg gu/ ] sf klg xf] Ogg\ . vgfnsf cg';f/ ;a} bnn] k|: t't u/ ] sf cfwf/ kq nueu ;dfg b] lvG5g\, t/ ;fdfGo s'/ fx?df bnsf aLrdf dtleGgtf 5g\ . h;dWo]
sfd u/ ] sf] cf/ f] k nufpFb} dfwj g] kfnsf] g] t[Tjdf ag] sf] ;/ sf/ lj36gsf] dfu ub} { cfPsf] Pg] skfsf cWoIf k|r08 klg ;xdlt 6f9f b] Vb} gg\ . k|r08 eG5g\,æsfo{bn, kf6L{ / / fi6«klt;Fu ePsf tLg bnsf] 5nkmnsf cfwf/ df kf6L{x? uDeL/ 5g\ / lgsf; lgsfNg] lt/ cfcfkm\gf] 9+un] k|oTgzLn 5g\ eGg] nfU5 . xfd|f] kf6L{sf tkm{af6 xfdL k"/ } uDeL/ tfsf ;fy o; k|lqmofdf nfu] sf 5fF} / nfU5f} F klg .Æ ;+ljwfgsf k|: tfljt d: of} bfdf hlt w] / } c8fg, c;xdlt / km/ s dt b] lvG5g\ Tolt g} ;xdltdf k'Ug ;lsg] ;Defjgf klg . t/ , k|d'v bnsf k|d'v g] tfx?sf] lgoGq0fdf tL bnsf g] tf sfo{stf{ gx'bfF;Dd pgLx?sf cleJolQm, pgLx?n] hgfPsf ;xdlt 6'+uf] df k'Ug] cfzf ug{ ;lsFb} g . g] tfx?n] uDeL/ / lhDd] jf/ eP/ a'e\mg' kg] { s'/ f s] xf] eg] / fhgLlts bnsf lg0f{ox? Jofjxfl/ s ?kdf sfof{Gjog ePsf] b] Vg gful/ sx? cft'/ 5g\ . / fhgLlts bnx?n] cfkm"nfO{ c;kmn x'gaf6 / f] Sg / d'n'snfO{ c;kmn / fHo x'gaf6 hf] ufpg klg cfkm"n] u/ ] sf ;xdlt / ;dembf/ L sfof{Gjog u/ ] / gful/ sx?nfO{ / fhgLlts cl: y/ tfaf6 qf0f lbnfpg ;Sg' g} cfhsf] r'gf} tL xf] . 45 January 2011
Y! ART
yfª\sfaf6 cfw'lgs snflt/ text by AJAY KUMAR UPRETY
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k"mleq lg: ;fl;Psf] efjnfO{ aflx/ Nofpg] dfWod xf] snf .Æ of] 7DofO{ snfsf/ s[i0faxfb'/ lyªsf] xf] . ;nf{xLdf hGd] / sf7df8f} Fdf x's] {sf lyªn] s;} af6 k|] / 0ff kfP/ jf k|f] T;flxt eP/ jf ?lrn] xf] Og, sfd ug] { OR5fn] ubf{ yfª\sf agfpg yfn] sf lyP cfˆgf dfdfx?;Fu} . æst} af6 tflnd lnPsf] klg xf] Og cfkFm} ltvfl/ Psf] xf] ,Æ lyª atfpF5g\ . nfdf] ;do / +ux? ;+u v] Nb} uP kl5 pgsf] / +u;+usf] ;DaGw uf9f x'b} uof] . ca t Tof] sfd dfq eGbf klg dflg;nfO{ v'zL agfpg] ;'q klg ePsf] 5 pgsf] nflu . pgL eG5g\, æsnfdf aflx/ L cfFvfn] b] Vg g;Sg] , cfFvfnfO{ e|d h: tf] nfUg] hfb' x'G5 . h;sf] ef} lts pkl: ylt x'Fb} g t} klg o;n] hLjgsf] x/ ] s kl/ jt{gnfO{ af6f] b] vfO/ x] sf] x'G5 .Æ yfª\sf agfpg] sfd u/ ] sf] lgs} ePkl5 pgnfO{ Tof] 3] / faf6 lgl: sg] / x/ knfof] . yfª\ sf agfpFbf kfng ug'{kg] { lgodx? s8f lyP, pgnfO{ Tof] lgodaf6 plDsg / cfk"mn] yfª\ sf agfpFbf l;s] sf 1fgnfO{ cfw'lgs lrqsnfsf] dfWodåf/ f k|: t't ug{ dg nfUof] . clg csf] { df] 8 lnof] pgsf] snf ofqfn] . xfn;fn} ePsf] …On'hg/ L nfOG;Ú gfds lrq k|bz{gL pgsf] t] >f] Psn k|bz{gL lyof] . ;fyL k|HHjn zfxL;Fu ldn] / k'tnL;8sdf ?6\; : 6'l8of] vf] n] sf 5g\, h;nfO{ eljiodf cf6{ Uofn/ Lsf] ?k lbg] OR5f 5 pgsf] . t/ , oxfF;Ddsf] ofqf ;lhnf] lyPg . nfdf] ;do ;Dd : yflkt cf6{ Uofn/ Lsf] 9f] sfaf6 l/ Q} lkmtf{ cfpg' k/ ] sf] , c?n] xfF;f] df p8fPsf] : d[ltx? 5g\ pgL;Fu . t/ , klxnf] k|b{zgL s] eof] pgn] ;f/ f g/ dfOnf ;DemgfnfO{ lal;{lbP .
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47 January 2011
Y! NOT GOLF
Pd] Rof] / df Pskl5 csf] { k|ltof]lutfdf ;kmntf xft kf/ ]kl5 dl0fsf] Wofg Jofj;flos uNkm/ aGg] tkm{ df] l8of] . pgn] ;g\ @))$ df k|f ]km] ;gn uNkm/ sf] k|df0fkq klg k|fKt u/ ] . To;kl5 pgn] v] n ]sf clwsf+z k|ltof] lutfdf pgL g] kfnsf pTs[i6 !) uNkm/ sf] : yfgaf6 tn em/ ]sf 5} gg\ .
cFWof/ f ]df rlDsPsf
dl0f
text by GOPAL DAHAL/ROHIT RAI
x
l/ of] 3fF;df u'l8/ x] sf] Pp6f ;] tf] ;fgf] an, xftdf cfsif{s nf} / f] lnPsf uf] / f dflg;x?sf] ;;fgf] hdftÙ laxfgel/ Tof] ;fgf] annfO{ nf} / fn] x'TofpFb} ans} kl5kl5 s'lb/ x] sf dflg;x?sf] x'n b] Vbf dl0f / fO{ -#(_ nfO{ v'Nb'nL nfUYof] . v] ln/ x] sf x'g\ jf s'g} sfd ul/ / x] sf x'g\ eGg] pgnfO{ e] p lyPg . kl5 yfxf kfP Tof] v] n / x] 5 / gfd rflxF uNkm . g] kfnsf] k"jL{ e] usf o'jfx?nfO{ a] nfotL ;] gfdf etL{ lng / a] nfotL ;] gfaf6 lgj[Q ePsf g] kfnL ;} lgs / ltgsf kl/ jf/ nfO{ : jf: Yo;] jf lbg] p2] Zon] ;g\ !(%) s} bzsdf vf] lnPsf] …3f] kf SofDkÚ -clxn] sf] aLkL sf] O/ fnf : jf: Yo lj1fg k|lti7fg / x] s} 7fpF_ leq lgld{t uNkm sf] ;{ a] nfotL sDkgL glkmN8 lukm\6n] ;g\ !(^@ df agfpg yfn] sf] xf] . h'g uNkm sf] ;{ g] kfns} k'/ fgf] sf] ;{df bl/ G5 . dl0fsf] 3/ ghLs} klZrdtk{m / x] sf] Tof] uNkm sf] ;{df v] Ng cfpg] x? rflxF clwsf+z ljb] zL x'Gy] . k'm;{b eof] ls sf] ;{lt/ v] n x] g{ bf} l8g] dl0f / xFb} a: b} hfFbf Sof8L -uNkm/ sf ;xof] uL_ aGg k'u] . ;g\
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!(*^ lt/ Sof8L ag] sf dl0f kl5 uP/ g] kfnsf l;kfn' uNkm/ aGg k'u] . pgL ;lDemG5g\, æTolta] nf Sofl8 ubf{ !% ?k} Fof;Dd kfOGYof] .Æ pkflwsf lx;fan] pgL;Fu w] / } lzN8 / k|df0fkq gxf] nfg\, t/ uNkmk|lt pgsf] ;fwgfn] pgnfO{ w] / } uNkm/ eGbf wgL agfPsf] 5 . / fhwfgLsf clwsf+z uNkm k|ltof] lutfx?df k|z+;fof] Uo v] n k|bz{g ug{ ;kmn pgL df] km;nsf PSnf k|lt: kwL{ x'g\ . To;f] t cfkm\gf l5dnsf clwsf+z o'jfe} Fm dl0fsf] ;kgf klg a] nfotL ;} lgs cyf{t\ nfx'/ ] aGg] lyof] . nfx'/ ] ag] / bfd / zfg sdfpg pgn] lszf] / fj: yfb] lv g} cfjZos tof/ L ;d] t u/ ] . uNkm v] Ng a] nfotL ;} lgs clwsf/ Lx?s} hd36 nfUg] x'gfn] nfx'/ ] nfUg ;lhnf] x'g cfzf klg pgnfO{ gknfPsf] xf] Og . ;+of] un] pgL nfx'/ ] ag] gg\, t/ uNkm eg] 5f8] gg\ . xKtfsf] ^ lbg;Dd uNkm/ sf ;] 6 af] Sg'k/ ] klg a'waf/ sf] lbg eg] uf] / f clws[tn] Sof8Lx?nfO{ uNkm v] Ng] df} sf lbGy] . æTof] Psk|sf/ sf] Sof8L k|ltof] lutf h: tf] g} x'GYof] . ;] 6 klg pgLx?s} x'GYof] , xfdL c;fWo} v'zL x'GYof} F,Æ pgL eG5g\ . sl/ a 8] 9 aif{ Sof8Lsf ?kdf sfd ubf{ub} { pgL Pd] Rof] / uNkm/ alg;s] sf] lyP . Tolta] n} klg pgL ^ x\of08LSofkdf v] Ny] . ;g\ !(*( df w/ fgaf6 la|l6z SofDksf] Ps o'lg6 kf] v/ f ;/ ] kl5 eg] w/ fgsf] uNkm sf] ;{ ;'g;fg eof] . a] nfotL clws[t;Fu} uNkm l;s] sf s] xL e"tk"j{ uf] vf{nL ;} lgsx? slxn] sfxLF uNkm v] Ng cfPklg rxnkxn klxn] h: tf] lyPg . s] xL : yfgLo uNkm/ x?n] ;g\ !((& df w/ fg uNkm Sna gvf] n'~h] n pQm uNkm sf] ;{ ;'g;fg} / Xof] . To;kl5
g} sf] ;{df dl0fsf] k'g/ fudg eof] . ;g\ !((( df klxnf] k6s efu lnPsf] hf] gL a's/ k|ltof] lutfdf Pd] Rof] / tkm{af6 ;xefuL dl0f bf] ;|f eP eg] ToxL aif{ ePsf] ;"o{ g] kfn df: 6;{df Pd] Rof] / tk{m k|yd eP . ;g\ @))! df ;f] N6L cf] kg k|ltof] lutf / sfN;{au{ Pd] Rof] / k|ltof] lutf b'j} df pgL bf] ;|f eP eg] ;g\ @))@ sf] ;'o{ g] kfn df: 6{; k|ltof] lutfdf Pd] Rof] / tkm{ k|yd eP . Pd] Rof] / df Pskl5 csf] { k|ltof] uLtfdf ;kmntf xft kf/ ] kl5 pgsf] Wofg Jofj;flos uNkm/ aGg] tkm{ df] l8of] . pgn] ;g\ @))$ df k|f] km] ;gn uNkm/ sf] k|df0fkq klg k|fKt u/ ] . To;kl5 pgn] v] n] sf clwsf+z k|ltof] lutfdf pgL g] kfnsf pTs[i6 !) uNkm/ sf] : yfgaf6 tn em/ ] sf 5} gg\ . ;g\ @))* sf] kf] v/ fdf cfof] lht ;'o{ g] kfn j] : 6g{ cf] kgdf g] kfnsf uNkmsf x: tLx?nfO{ g} cfZro{df kfb} { pgL klxnf eP . of] pgsf] v] n hLjgs} klxnf] 7"nf] pknlAw lyof] . t/ , pgL v'zL eg] o;} aif{ ePsf] ;"o{ g] kfn df: 6{;df ePsf / x] 5g\ . x'gt k|ltof] lutfdf pgL ;ftf} F : yfgdf / x] , t/ cGt/ f{li6«o : t/ sf] o; k|ltof] lutfdf g] kfnL v] nf8Lsf] v] nsf] : t/ t'ngfdf pgsf] k|bz{g pDbf 7xl/ of] . ;fdfGo kl/ jf/ sf dl0fsf nflu Ps ;do o: tf] klg lyof] , ha k|ltof] lutfdf efu lng / fhwfgL hfgsf nflu pgL;Fu k} ;f x'Fb} gYof] . Jofj;flos hLjgsf] bf] ;|f] v] n v] Ng sf7df8f} Fsf] uf] s{0f;Dd k'Ug pgnfO{ ;fyL l6sf lnDa'n] cfly{s ;xof] u u/ ] sf lyP . w/ fgsf csf{ Jofj;flos uNkm/ ;ljg ;fksf] 6f, uNkm/ : jl: tsf lnDa' / cefjsf aLr uNkm v] Ng k|] / 0ff lbO/ xg] cwf{lËgL lgd{nf u'?ªsf] k|] / 0ffn] dfq cfk"m uNkm v] ln/ x] sf] pgsf] egfO{ 5 . yK5g\, æd] / } pbfx/ 0fn] klg x'g] vfg] n] dfq} uNkm v] Ng ;S5g\ eGg] s'/ fnfO{ unt ;fljt u/ ] sf] 5, d klg ul/ as} 5f] / f x'F, t/ uNkm v] n] / } afFlr/ x] sf] 5' .Æ g] kfndf uNkm / uNkm/ x?sf] eljio / fd|f] / x] sf] , t/ ;/ sf/ L : t/ af6 o;sf lglDt vf;} s] xL ;xof] u gePsf] nfU5 pgnfO{ . ;"o{ g] kfnh: tf s] xL pBf] un] uNkm k|ltof] lutfnfO{ k|fof] hg gu/ ] sf] v08df clxn] klg g] kfnsf] uNkm wd{/ fpg] cj: yfk|lt ;DalGwt lgsfosf] kof{Kt Wofg guPsf] pgsf] 7DofO{ 5 . uNkmnfO{ gofF k': tfdf s;/ L x: tfGt/ 0f ug] { eGg] klg pgsf] csf] { lrGtf aGg k'u] sf] 5 . a] nfotn] agfOlbPsf] w/ fgsf] P] ltxfl;s uNkm sf] ;{ ;+/ If0fdf klg ;a} kIfsf] pbfl;gtfn] pgnfO{ w] / } k6s lg/ fz agfPsf] 5 . t} klg ulj{nf] Oltxf; / sxfnLnfUbf] jt{dfg af] s] sf] w/ fgsf] ToxL uNkm sf] ;{df sfFwdf ;] 6 af] sL x/ ] s lbg cEof; ug] { pgn] / fhwfgLsf ;'ljwf;DkGg uNkm/ nfO{ r'gf} tL lbg] ;fx; ug{ 5f8] sf 5} gg\ . æh] h: tf] cj: yf ePklg cfpFbf] ;'o{ g] kfn df: 6;{df pkflw prfNg] d] / f] nIo 5Æ, pgL eG5g\ .
49 January 2011
The Endless Search for a Nepali PM We've had our share of prime ministers, but none appear to have really impressed. Do we really lack PM material in our political ranks? Y! The search for a Prime Minister has been much more difficult than anticipated. After 16 futile rounds of voting in the Constituent Assembly, we are left without one. Our political parties are all 'searching' for the elusive consensus, but we believe it needs to be forged and not searched for. Ram Chandra Poudel, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Jhalanath Khanal - party lines apart, were they the best people for the PM's post. For their own parties they were, but what do you think? Could there have been better alternatives? If yes, who? It's very easy to crib about and condemn sitting in the sidelines, but it's a different proposition altogether when you are in the centre and we are putting you in the spotlight. We've had our share of prime ministers, but none appear to have really impressed. Do we really lack PM material in our political ranks? Non-political prime ministers have had a certain degree of success in other countries. Do we search for our next PM among the non-politicians? Is there anyone fit to lead the government from the professional or business community? Share with us your thought. It may perhaps be time to think different. Nikhil the only thing we see here in Nepal is criticism. Nobody praises for what they have done. The only thing that strikes Nepalese is what they have not done. Changing the way people look at the country can change everything I guess. This goes for the politicians too. Change the way you look. The world is a beautiful place to live and nepal "a heaven". Let's make Nepal a heaven. Bishesh I seriously doubt that a non-political PM can work properly in this situation because of the so called "khutta tanne pravitti", the other political will always stand against him/her. As many Nepalese, I think that Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai is eligible for PM seat because he is well experienced and well qualified too. After all he is the 'Dr.'...but i guess he can't apply for PM seat because he is not the head of his so called Maoist Party. So, in my view Prachanda is the most suitable person for PM seat because I feel that he is a good leader and he will be assisted by our nation's hero Dr. BabuRam Bhattarai. Hritu I wish we had someone who loved Nepal more than he loved himself to be appointed as our PM... Eliza Well from my perspective, it does matter that there is a prime minister in any country and there should be. After so many failed elections for just one position it is clear that there is no ability of parliament and political members to agree and support each others decision. The most important thing at this political stage is 'It doesn't matter if we have leader, but it matters a lot when we don't have law'. So the first priority should be to make law by being committed and agreeing on constitution. Due to lack of law to avoid such scenarios in future, proper constitution should be prepared asap. It doesn't matter if they take one more year to prepare, but the wait should be worth it. Y! Ok... the discussion is underway. :) We'd love a deluge of comments, but for starters we are happy with what we have so far... But we're soliciting more, a lot more.
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Home Profile Account
I do not think that I will be wrong if I say that nobody, again nobody mentioned as candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Nepal deserves that title, it is a very respectable position and a title to have, if anybody does really deserve it then it would be the person of changed character that thinks first for the good of the country before him/ herself or his/her party. Our leaders do not hold a real truthful patriotism and all what they do and say is a sham! Why does our country have a leader crisis? Because there are none!
Ninan I don't think I would want to blame the political parties for anything and everything that has happened and is happening. It is us the people of Nepal who is to be blame for. We completely ignore whatever the morons (political leaders) do, it has actually encouraged them to do whatever they want. I am very much surprised why these morons (political leaders) do not understand that country comes first before their party. A country without a governmental head for such a long period of time, do these morons really have a sense of what they are doing and on what ways it is affecting the country? I do not think that I will be wrong if I say that nobody, again nobody mentioned as candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Nepal deserves that title, it is a very respectable position and a title to have, if anybody does really deserve it then it would be the person of changed character that thinks first for the good of the country before him/herself or his/her party. Sampurna Sa******* desh ko dhukuti rittaune bhanye!!! kamsekam budget matrai declare gareko bhayeni hunthiyo!!! aaba hera 3 months sakisakyo... desh bikasma kamse kam kalti ghata lagcha bhanera manan garne ho bhane jarur desh le PM paisakthiyo!!! man nabhayeka... nrdaiyee!! Bastabma tiniharu desh BIDROHI HUN!!! Y! Perhaps time for a professional CEO in place of a PM? Just a thought... What say? Y! @Bishesh - a very valid point. The consensus which has been elusive so far may just appear overnight at the prospect of a non-political PM. And it would be hard for her/him to function with the political parties ganging up against the PM. One more thing, talking PM, we usually go 'he'. Any chances of a she? Some prospects perhaps? And Dr. Bhattarai - one alternate suggestion at least. Care to elaborate a bit more on why him... Y! @Ninan - do you have anyone in mind who fits the bill? @Hritu - do you have anyone in mind who fits the bill? @Nikhil - So, what is needed now is for the politicians to change their outlook. But, do you feel that politics is best left to the politicians and non-politicians have no business aspiring for political posts like that of the PM? Isn't it time for the public to change their outlook as well since the politicians (with their present outlook) appear to have failed to deliver? Any thoughts on that? @Sampurna - uniharulay "desh bikasma kamse kam kalti ghata lagcha bhanera manan garne ho bhane jarur desh le PM paisakthiyo" hola... Tapaiko bichar ma ahiley ko candidate haru layak na bhaeko ho ki, desh ma aru layak candidates haru nai chaina? Kasailai PM ko roop ma dekhna chahanu huncha ki?
51 January 2011
......talking about Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, his strategic planning ability is outstanding. Besides this, his qualification level is way higher than any other Nepalese politicians and he is well experienced too, in this field.
Tekraj I think yi neta haru lai counseling ko jaruri cha bichar nai 6ina kasaiko aafno nat ta vision 6. Baisa kamauna lai politics garne haru le k PM banauthiya kasailai kasai ko wasta nai chaina. Hritu Not anyone among the politicians. Bishesh Talking about 'she', I don't have anyone in my mind. But talking about Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, his strategic planning ability is outstanding. Besides this, his qualification level is way higher than any other Nepalese politicians and he is well experienced too, in this field. Y! @Bishesh - indeed. @the rest - any more insights? Or is this all we have to say about this joke of a search for a PM? Y! We have at least one feasible candidate, who you think could have been the PM, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. However, one is quite a sad and lonely figure. Are we really short of good leaders? We're sure we can do much better than this. How about someone from the younger lot or do you think they are again, all say and no do? Bejoy I was in Ankara for International Meet. While I was on tete-a-tete with few of my international counterparts, their first reaction when I said that I am Nepali...they had a huge 2000 feet tall question mark raised and this middle aged lady from Russia asks me with enthusiasm glittering in her eyes, what about the Prime Minister race? My jaw dropped. Embarrassed (holding champagne in my hand) I was like umm, it's going on & god knows what's really going to happen. I was very shrewd with my answer and they must have wondered what a citizen. I immediately had to do something and I say "Nepal is going through a transition, and these are small tough barriers. We love our country and hope we will get over it soon towards the right direction" They gave their sympathy and best wishes. But reality stands different. Nepalese political showdown has no more been than of a strip show or a porno or even to an extreme of political leaders masturbating on nation's top issues. Our leaders do not hold a real truthful patriotism and all what they do and say is a sham! Why does our country have a leader crisis? Because there are none! I don't want to name them but giving up on the monarchy system, Nepalese expected better days, a new beginning but this is just awful. WTF! Sorry for my language but I am an agitated citizen who is sad with this rubbish. I often compare Nepalese leaders to those actors in Indian soaps. Is it a gimmick that Nepalese have their Brain in their knees? I guess my granny was right. Oh mighty lord Pashupatinath, please give them some brains and get a good leader who has balls to lead this nation. Jai Nepal! Y! @Bejoy - Thank you for your insight... We appreciate every post. Y! BTW - it's wrap up time, and though we are not really brimming with posts, yet, what we have had so far has been stimulating to say the least. Any final comments and takes? Please feel free to give your piece of mind here. :)
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FEATURE
Coach Luma:
PHOTO Source: www.elalmario.com
Coaching for the game of life
I
n the summer of 2004, Luma Mufleh made flyouts in Arabic, English, French and Vietnamese for a football tryout. On that June afternoon, only 23 boys showed up. And this was the beginning to The Fugees, a football program for refugee children founded by Luma, known as Coach Luma in the refugee community in Clarkston, Georgia. An immigrant from Jordan herself, Luma, 34, was a part of one of the most diverse communities in America; nearly 20,000 refugees were resettled in Clarkston between 1996 to 2001. And when she found about this, the idea for The Fugees germinated. The Fugees is a team of refugee children from countries like Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan, aged between 9 to 17. Coach Luma thought that it would be best to put behind their troubled past and give a voice to these refugee children through a sport that they all were passionate about. “There are no gray areas with the Fugees. They trigger people’s reactions on class, on race. They speak with accents and don’t seem American. A lot of people get shaken up by that,” she was quoted in a 2007 The New York Times article. Raised in a wealthy family in Jordan, she was influenced by her compassionate grandmother,
hardworking father and a tough high school coach. For Luma, it was her coach who developed her leadership abilities and love of sports. And now as a coach to the child survivors of war, she is just doing that. “We build upon the power of soccer to galvanize these kids by giving them the support and structure they need to realize their vast potential,” is her message on the website for the Fugees Family. With Fugees Family, a non-profit organization, Luma has branched out to not only help refugee children through sports but also focus on their education. In 2007, she started Fugees Academy: a program for players who were desperately far behind in school but demonstrated the desire to learn and the discipline to succeed. Luma also added after-school tutoring and Fugees college and career counselling. From the initial 23, The Fugees has grown and now includes yearround soccer for 86 boys aged 10-18. Regardless of their socio-cultural backgrounds, Coach Luma has her strategies of creating a bond: Various players grouped together and enforcing an English-only policy at all times, the kids learn to cooperate. “They all play on the same team, finding their commonalities instead of focusing on their differences,” states the Fugees Family’s mission.
And it’s their common interest that brings together the refugee community every two years for the soccer celebration—The Fugees World Cup. This is the time when they set up mini soccer fields at a local stadium and host a tournament for the children in elementary school while The Fugees team members take the role of coaches and referees. “They learn to be role models and to realize that for at least one day, it is not about them, but about all the little kids who show up to play.” From something that looked insignificant in the initial days, Coach Luma and her determination, has today created a substantial ground for helping children from war ravaged countries to realize their potential. And now, it’s not only about boys; Coach Luma has also started a girl’s team. Winner of several awards, including the Common Ground Award, which is presented annually to honour accomplishments in conflict resolution, negotiation, community building, and peacebuilding, Coach Luma serves as an inspiration to many. For the members of Fugees Family, she might be a hero but for the rest of the world, she is an achiever and a giver. “You start off on your own and you suddenly have a family of 120,” she says.
53 January 2011
TECH
Smart & Informed text by VIKASH PRADHAN
HTC Desire
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G
one are the days when price mostly dictated your choice of a mobile phone. You could go for the most expensive of models, and yet get basically the same features as you would from one in a much lower price bracket. The size, the look and the material the phone was made of would perhaps be the only difference between the high, mid and low end models. Mobile phones have however undergone such a transformation in the past few years that they have pushed the Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) out of existence and now threaten to do the same with Portable Media Players and point and shoot cameras, both still and video. Buying a mobile phone now is a somuch-more complicated affair with each phone promising to do much more than just make and receive calls. With each passing day, phones are increasing in capability and the line between ‘smart’ and ‘feature’ phones is swiftly blurring. So, you buy a music phone today and you may very well be able to do some basic browsing or communicating with it and likewise, you buy a smartphone and it may take some good enough photos to upload. Now that smartphones are moving away from the exclusive circle of business users and invading the consumer domain, if you
Popular Smart-phone OSs Apple: iOS Google: Android Nokia: Symbian, Maemo Research in Motion: Blackberry OS Palm (HP): WebOS Microsoft: Windows Phone were to buy one today, how would you go about doing it? There obviously cannot be a definitive guide to buying a smart-phone, but you could do well with a few pointers in mind. To, begin with, as with most things in life, even with smart-phones, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, so, the perfect phone is a myth. You have to compromise something for the other, at least given today’s technology, so, it will be an effort in vain to expect the best of everything in a smart-phone, and there are just so many aspects to consider. In fact, choosing a smart-phone now is more akin to buying a computer than
Blackberry
:df6{kmf] gx? nf] slk|o ePsf 5g\, t/ lsg < kmf] g ug] { ;fwg dfq} geP/ sDKo'6/ df ug{ ;lsg] nueu ;a} sfdx? o;df ;xh} ug{ ;lsg] ePsfn] klg :df6{kmf] gsf] k|of] u ug] { pkef] Qmfx?sf] ;ª\Vof s] xL ;dootf x\jfQ} a9] sf] xf] .
Apple IPhone 4
a phone - operating system, memory, screen size, aspect ratio, resolution, processor speed, connectivity options, ports and so on. The basic thing to remember though is not to base your purchase on raw specifications alone but to be guided rather by how you intend to use your device or where and how it fits into your lifestyle.
leqL ljz] iftf x'“bfx'“b} klg :df6{kmf] g k|ltsf] yk cfsif{0f eg] sf] o;sf] aflx/L :j?k xf] . olb tkfO{“ 3l/3l/ ;] nkmf] g km] g'{x'Gg / nfdf] ;do;Dd Pp6} kmf] g af] ls/xg rfxg'x'G5 eg] tkfO“{ kSs}klg cfsif{s :df6{kmf] gg} /f] Hg'x'G5 . Don’t be coerced into buying a monstrosity falling for that one killing feature, and smart-phones can be quite monstrous at times. Thin is in and so, the minimalist. Just remember, a thing of beauty is a joy forever, and a brick is a brick, no matter what kind of beast lurks beneath the hood. The look apart, call quality is another very important consideration. A mobile phone, smart, dumb, feature or otherwise, is essentially a phone, so, if the call quality is less than very good, your choice of a smart phone will not look very smart with use. Common woes include dropped calls, low network signal, garbled speech and noise.
With the look and the phone part of the deal done with, the next consideration would be a ‘smart’ one - the operating system (OS). You have a much wider choice of OSs when it comes to Smart Phones as compared to desktops or laptops, each with its strengths and weaknesses alike. Though, it is possible to get into the nitty gritty of each OS before deciding on one, in general, there are three basic considerations - comfort, user interface (UI) and frequently used/needed desktop features. The first is dictated by the phones/OSs you have used in the past. A Symbian user will feel at home with a new Symbian device and likewise, someone used to an iOS device will have no trouble with another iOS device. So, choose an OS you are comfortable with. Connected quite closely with the first consideration is the UI. You may be comfortable with your OS, however, for every little thing if you have to wade through layers and layers of menus and options then you could perhaps have a feel of other OSs as well. Modern smart phone OSs are packed with features, but due to some design quirks, many of those features remain hidden or are best left unused because they are not well integrated in the UI. So, choose your UI based on how easily or quickly you can perform common tasks and how closely and well integrated the features highlighted are to the UI. Lastly, make sure your OS supports commonly used desktop features. A mobile platform imposes a lot of barriers and limitations with regards to the OS, and very often, features taken for granted on desktop OSs like copy & paste and multi-tasking are left out. Well, you can live without them, but life is just so much easier with them. A smart-phone is often said to be only as smart as the applications that run on it. Here again iOS is leaps ahead of the competition, but Android is swiftly catching up and the rest are out of their slumber and gearing up as well. You may be amazed at the type and variety of applications that run on a smart-phone today: from 3D games to video editing, you can do all that and much more on that diminutive piece of hardware. With the software side of things done with, the next few considerations will be ‘hard’. One major consideration would be touchscreen or non-touchscreen. Being able to touch through your smart
Capacitive touchscreen A capacitive touchscreen panel consists of an insulator such as glass, coated with a transparent conductor such as indium tin oxide (ITO). As the human body is also a conductor, touching the surface of the screen results in a distortion of the screen’s electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance. Different technologies may be used to determine the location of the touch. The location is then sent to the controller for processing.
Resistive touchscreen A resistive touchscreen consists of two flexible sheets coated with a resistive material and separated by an air gap or microdots. When contact is made to the surface of the touchscreen, the two sheets are pressed together. On these two sheets there are horizontal and vertical lines that when pushed together, register the precise location of the touch. Because the touchscreen senses input from contact with nearly any object (finger, stylus/pen, palm) resistive touchscreens are a type of “passive” technology. Source: www.wikipedia.org
55 January 2011
phone use is not only cool, but often easier too. But it isn’t always smooth going, especially when you have to use your touchscreen outdoors in bright sunshine. Even the best of screens tend to wash out in the sun and those are the times when you may rue for physical buttons. Outdoor visibility apart, touchscreens need to complemented by an OS and UI that are optimised for touch input, and at the present time, while iOS leads the way, others like Symbian are playing catch up. So, your
multimedia being a capability that is now taken for granted, bigger and crisper is the way to go. Thus, an ideal screen would be one big enough to be used/carried comfortably and yet pack enough resolution to display everything crisp and clear. While Bluetooth was a feature to look for just a few years back, WiFi is what people now want on their phones and it does make a lot of sense with mobile browsers becoming almost as capable as desktop ones. And with wireless access
cr]n kmf]gsf] ljz]iftf eg]sf] To;df ePsf] :6f]/]h :k]; / To;nfO{ a9fpg ldNg] ;'ljwf xf] . cfk\mgf 8s'd]G6, tl:a/ / uLt;ª\uLt kmf]gd} /fVg rfxg] xf] eg] / w]/} j6f kmf]g gk]mg]{ xf] eg] :df6{kmf]gsf] d]df]/L pko'Qm /xG5 .
Nokia E73 with QWERTY keyboard.
touch experience may end up being a hit or miss depending on your OS, though things are constantly improving. The touchscreen itself makes a big difference, capacitive screens working much better than resistive ones. A fairly recent innovation is multitouch, where the OS can sense multiple touches on the screen simultaneously and thus support gestures as well, like pinch to zoom. More and more OSs support multitouch these days, but iOS is quite a way ahead of the rest. On the screen front, another important consideration could be size. Size matters, yes, but also keep in mind the screen resolution. Many a big screen is cut to size due to inadequate resolution. Remember that your smartphone is meant to handle quite a few mainstream desktop tasks like browsing and email, so, without a big enough screen or high enough resolution, your device may just fall short. And with
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keyboard often cuts down on screen space, but having one does make a whole lot of difference, especially for those hardcore mobile communicators, and these days, social network hounds, who often manage their entire communicating needs and their virtual social life on their phone. Another hard consideration that impacts your entire smart phone experience is navigation. While this is a non-issue for touchscreens, it can leave you high and dry otherwise. The conventional four-direction navigation keys can be very limiting and slow, especially, while browsing. Since the cursor moves in fixed increments it sometimes becomes impossible to click some links on web pages, with the cursor either moving up or below the link. To overcome this limitation, Blackberry type touch-sensitive track balls are becoming more prevalent in nontouchscreen phones.
points proliferating at homes and at offices, online may just be a touch away. 3G maybe the new talk in town, but given the current tariff, though lower than earlier, makes it only flaunt worthy. WiFi, meanwhile, is so much more affordable, and if you are lucky, often free. You will however need a capable mobile browser on your phone if you need a full browsing experience. Most major browsers have been ported to most mobile OSs, and, free, so, it’s just download, install and you are set to go. [Note: If you have big fingers, you can skip this paragraph.] An essential function of a smartphone is communication, and that often requires a lot of text input. On-screen keyboards are becoming more refined and new ways of text input coming into vogue, but if you want, you still can find plenty of smart-phones with physical keyboards. Unless it’s a slider, a physical
While many smart-phones like the iPhone offer quite a lot of on-board storage space, others provide expansion slots that support as much as 32GB of expandable memory. One thing to remember considering expandable memory is whether applications can also be loaded on it. With the wealth of applications at your disposal, it would be a real drag to run out of onboard memory, only to discover that you cannot use your huge expandable memory for applications. There can be a million pointers on how to do just about anything, and yet we fall time and again to the glossy print ad or the slick TV ad. You will perhaps fall for a gorgeous screen, a thin profile, slick lines or even the brand ambassador - isn’t that the whole point? We, however, hope it goes beyond the sheen and you make a more informed choice the next time you are in the market for a smart-phone.
ON THE SHELF
sfJofTds cfVofg text by RICHA BHATTARAI
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lj a'l4;fu/ rkfO{F s] xL dlxgfcl3 …s0ff{nL An'hÚ dfk{mt g] kfnL ;flxTosf] cfFugdf b] vf k/ ] sf 5g\ . 5f] / fn] cfk\mgf] afa'nfO{ lrq0f ubf{ To;;Fu hf] l8P/ cfPsf ljleGg ;Demgf / sNkgfsf] o; cfVofg clGtd cj: yfdf k'u] sf lktfsf] cj: yfaf6 z'? x'G5 . lj/ fdL afa'nfO{ ?FUg a: bf sf7df8f} Fdf ;ª\3if{ u/ L kl9/ x] sf] l76f] j[ifaxfb'/ nfO{ afNosfnsf] ;Demgfn] ;tfpg yfN5 . cfkm" hGd] x's] {sf] 7fpF, To; 7fpFaf6sf] a;fOF ;/ fO, hLjgdf cfOk/ ] sf afwf / ltgdfly ljho kfpg a'jfn] rfn] sf cfFl6nf / slxn] sfxLF d'v{ nfUg] sbd j[if ;lDemg yfN5 . ;fdfGo ljifoj: t' ePklg n] vsn] gf} nf] z} nL / kl/ sNkgfsf] k|of] u u/ ] / k': tsnfO{ / f] rs agfPsf 5g\ a'l4;fu/ n] . g] kfnsf] leqL dw] zsf] Pp6f ufpFaf6 z'? ePsf] cfVofg ljs6 kxf8L k|b] z s0ff{nLdf k'u] / 6'lª\uG5 . t/ n] vsn] s'g} klg 7fpFsf] nDa] tfg aofg eg] u/ ] sf 5} g\, pgsf] ;l6s j0f{g / kfqx?larsf] jftf{nfkn] g} kl/ j] znfO{ k|i6\ ofFp5 . / fhwfgL aflx/ sf x/ ] s e"efudf ;f] emf g] kfnLn] a] xf] g'{kg] { csNkgLo b'v Pj+ r'gf} tLnfO{ dd{: kzL{ 9ª\uaf6 k|: t't u/ ] / n] vsn] ljz] ifu/ L / fhwfgLsf jfl;Gbfx?nfO{ ltgsf] cfgGbbfoL hLjgk|lt nlHht g} agfOlbG5g\ . cfd g] kfnLsf kL8fsf syfnfO{ cl3 NofP klg pkGof; lg/ fzfjfbL jf cfqmf] zk"0f{ eg] 5} g . a? o;n] oL b'v v] k] / klg v'zL;fy afFlr/ x] sf kfqdfkm{t hLjgnfO{ h: tf] ;'s} kl/ l: yltdf klg ;Sbf] ;xh agfO lhpg'kg] { ;Gb] z lbg vf] h] sf] 5 . Pj+, 5f] / f / afa'aLrsf] ablnFbf] ;DaGw g} pkGof;sf] k|d'v ;f/ xf] . k': tsdf n] vsn] k|of] u u/ ] sf laDax? ;x|fgLo 5g\, h;n] ubf{ lrg] hfg] sf j: t', kfq / kl/ l: yltnfO{ kf7sx?n] gf} nf] 9+un] cg'ej u5{g\ . n] vsn] aa{/ fO/ x] sf cf] F7x?nfO{ 3fOt] r/ fsf] r'Rrf] ;Fu t'ngf u5{g\ / bfx|L sfl6Psf] ufnfnfO{ afnL sf6] kl5sf] v] t;Fu . cfdfsf cfF] 7df ;'o{d'vL km'N5g\
eg] Pp6f k;n] sf] z/ L/ b'wd} g'xfPem} F b] lvG5 . o: tf / dfOnf t'ngfx? k': tsdf y'k|} 7fpF e] l6G5g\ . k': tsdf ul/ Psf] g] kfnL ;dfhsf] lrq0f csf] { ;an kIf xf] . o;df plNnlvt ;fgf ;fgf 36gfaf6 klg g] kfnsf ljleGg 7fpFsf ;fdflhs cj: yf Pj+ a] lyltaf/ ] hfGg ;lsG5 . 5f] / LnfO{ lhpFb} uf8\g] rng, clgolGqt hg;ª\Vof j[l4n] ubf{ wldlnPsf] s~rg vf] nf, plrt : jf: Yo ;] jfsf] cefjdf csfnd} dg{ afWo g] kfnL – oL ;a} sf] j0f{g o; k': tsdf kfOG5 . a;fOF ;/ fO, dfgj clwsf/ , n} lª\us lje] b, jftfj/ 0fLo ljgfz, ;'rgf / ;~rf/ sf] k|efj, df] km;nsf e'efuk|lt / fHosf] a] jf: tf cflb uDeL/ ljifonfO{ klg n] vsn] cf} FNofPsf 5g\ . klqsfdf a'l4;fu/ sf : tDe k9\g] kf7snfO{ eg] o; k': tsn] cGofo u/ ] em} F nfU5 . o;df pNn] lvt kl/ j] z / kfqsf ;fy} 36gfqmd g} bf] xf] l/ Psf] h: tf] nfUg ;S5 . To;} n] n] vsn] cfpg] lbgdf ljifoj: t' / n] vgz} nLsf ;fy} kl/ j] z d} klg km/ sg gNofP kf7snfO{ Tof] af;L nfUg] 5 . To;} u/ L cTolws laDasf] k|of] u ug{ n] vs cft'/ b] lvPsf 5g\, / slxn] sfxLF t pgn] syfnfO{ cl3 a9fpg' eGbf klg oL laDanfO{ g} v] nfP/ a: g rfx] sf] k|i6 x'G5 . ldlxg j: t'nfO{ klg cg] s pkdf lbP/ k6s k6s rflxg] eGbf a9L j0f{g u/ ] kl5 kf7snfO{ lemFemf] nfU5 . r': t 36gfk|wfg cfVofgnfO{ k|fyldstf lbg] kf7s o;sf] ;': t rfnaf6 lg/ fz x'g ;S5g\ . k': tssf] cGTolt/ ;z: q åGåaf/ ] yk hfgsf/ L lbg] ls pkGof; nlDaFb} uPsf] n] oxLF cGTo ul/ lbg] eGg] b'ljwf n] vsnfO{ ePh: tf] b] lvG5, h;sf] sf/ 0fn] sltk|o k|;ª\u xtf/ d} ;lsPsf 5g\ . t/ , … s0ff{nL An'hÚ nfO{ ;'/ Do sfJofTds z} nLdf dfgjLo ;DaGwaf/ ] / lrPsf] cfVofg eGbf cTo"lQm gxf] nf . g] kfnL k9\g cN5L dfGg] o'jfx?nfO{ klg of] pkGof; / dfOnf] nfUg] 5, lsgeg] o;sf] : ki6 cfj/ 0f b] lv lnP/ ;/ n efiff / kTofl/ nf] 36gfqmdn] pgLx?nfO{ km/ s cg'e"lt x'g] 5 . 57 January 2011
FEATURE
Why does this remind me so much of Nepal? In Kabul reminiscing Kathmandu
text and photos by Subel Bhandari
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a'sf{ nufPsf :qL / htftt} ;'/Iffsf] 3] /fleq /x] sf cfjf; h:t} w'nf] klg sfa'ns} Pp6f c+z xf] , o'4 h:t} . grfx] / klg tkfO{Fn] oL s'/f a'e\mg}k5{ / cfTd;ft ug}{k5{ sfa'ndf– lagf s'g} ckjfb, lagf s'g} ljjfb . oxfF a:b} hfFbf oL ;a}yf] s qmdzM tkfO{Fsf] hLjgsf] c+z aGb} hfG5 .
An Afghan boy looks out of the window of a house, party destroyed by a home made bomb in Kabul. Pictures like this are common in Afghan capital. But records show the security in the city has improved drastically in the last one year. However, situation outside the capital still deteriorates.
59 January 2011
(L) An Afghan boy rides a donkey to transport water in Kabul. Afghanistan's capital has seen massive water shortages and humanitarian agencies say it's one of major problems facing the country. (R) Foreign forces and security staff, like Turkish troop here, roam around the capital. But lately, the security has been handed over to Afghan security forces. The police and army here are ill trained and impoverished. Many are illiterate but NATO and US forces are training them.
K
abul is dusty and that’s perhaps the first thing you realize being in a country hosting a never-ending war. If you don’t clean your computer screens, window panes and corners of bookcases on a very regular basis, dust invades and settles down. It may not be sickening like in Mumbai and parts of Delhi, or with the added bonus of a stench prevalent in Kathmandu, but this dust is visible to your eyes, clings to your face, sticks on the skin and stains your hands. And it stays. It greatly troubles your hair and sometimes even irritates the eyes. In fact, a dry nose is a certainty for the first few weeks for any visitor here. If you park your car on the roadside for over an hour, dust completely bathes the frame, and surprisingly it merges with the view of distant, naked mountains. On any given day, a sour dust mixed with smog hangs over Kabul’s streets. Dust here is just dust - it’s part of the polluted air around. I cleaned my room, which is not in the city center, only to find two days later that my cupboards were dust-ridden again. Dust becomes a part of you here. Just like compound living, or burqa-clad women. Just like war. These things get to you, but you accept them as facts of life and just move on. You don’t negotiate, you accommodate. Everything becomes a part of you. With some background research, a few independent figures, and a whole host of translations, I write about war. About the war, but from the comfort 60 yzine.com.np
of my office sofa in a cozy part of town called Shar-e-naw. The news around here revolves around nothing except war: NATO soldier died, Taliban killed, suicide bomber took life, civilians dead. That and then some more on this conflict: IED detonated, insurgents captured, businessman kidnapped, school bombed, humanitarian aid needed. So, it’s more like writing a daily update on the war toll. As redundant as these stories already seem, it is saddening, mainly because compound living sucks you in, but also because it’s sad to write about gloomy hopeless things in life, perpetually.
d] / f] clkm; / x] sf] 3/ ckmuflg:tfgsf k|wfGofofwLzsf] lgjf;lg/ } 5 h;nfO{ ;3g ;'/ Iff 3] / fleq s/ La Ps ;o hgf l;kfxLn] kx/ f lbG5g\ . jf:tjdf of] rflx“ ckjfb xf] , lsgeg] ;a} lgjf;df o:t} vfnsf] ;'/ Iff Joj:yf x“'b} g . Most houses of the rich and famous here are that way though: heavily fortified with a good number of independent security staff. They say the Attorney General does not trust his own ill-trained Afghan Army, so he has set up his own armed security, mostly independent contractors. The city does not feel like a war zone. But you can sense it: the fear, the anger, the anguish and frailty - it lingers with the dust. The
streets are busy but more than that there is some sense of urgency. There is an overwhelming feeling of antagonism mixed with hopelessness and desperation. It is nauseating at times. A car drops me off and picks me up every day. I don’t leave my car and my driver, even when I go for grocery shopping two blocks down the road. It is a safety precaution - everyone keeps reminding me how it’s better to be safe than sorry. If I walk on the street, I don’t talk to people. As a Nepali, I can easily pass as an Afghan–as a Hazara to be precise, which, they tell me, comprises the third largest ethnic group, who incidentally hate the Taliban. So, that compounds my fear and I compound myself to the fear in this city. In that sense, I don’t really still feel that secure anyway. Writing about war in a place like Afghanistan is nothing like that in Nepal. Here you are plagued with a plethora of safety precautions and even more unconfirmed news than humanely possible with which to formulate a news piece! Officials religiously fail to comment upon almost anything, take the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces for example, which makes you sign a 12-page document before they give you a press ID and still refrain from confirming and commenting on the nationality of the NATO personnel who was just killed. Then there is the ever changing phone numbers of all important people,
including spokesmen, provincial governors and politicians, who have resorted to an endless myriad of numbers in fear of insurgents. And the language barrier: of course, as a Nepali, I can phrase a few sentences in Hindi, which they understand as Urdu and they speak Urdu, which my ears hear as Hindi. But that is with very few people. Most people speak Dari (like Iranian Persian) and Pashto. The learning process makes me feel like I am in first grade again. The war here has been going on since the ouster of Taliban in 2001. Led by the US forces and then later joined by British forces and 40 other countries of the NATO, this war is nine years old already. But this is not the first war Afghans have seen. The country has been in a war for centuries. A new theatre production in London called The Great Game: Afghanistan is symbolic of the invasions: a telling fact, the show is 12 hours long. Amidst a history of invasions, the latest one has contributed to the worst case of casualties, this year alone. It goes without saying that more civilians have died this year than any year since the start of the invasion. The number of international forces killed too rose to its highest, more than 680 this year. There were more roadside bombs and more people internally displaced. The US-led war outpaced the one by the Soviet Union troops who invaded the country in 1980s. The declaration made by US and NATO early last month in the Lisbon Conference that they will start leaving
from next year and hand over the security to Afghan forces by 2014 is seen with much cynicism. Most people believe this is just a cowardly withdrawal to avoid gross public humiliation. Then there is tribal politics wherein the Pashtun ethnic majority dislike just about everyone else, including the Tajiks, second largest; the Hazaras, third largest and Uzbeks, the fourth largest tribes nestled within the political boundaries of Afghanistan. Hazaras are now preparing to fight the Talibans, who are largely Pashtuns, in case there is a peace accord by the Afghan government. Then there is warlordism, narcotics and rampant corruption. At least 30 ex-warlords are in the new parliament. Afghanistan is the world’s largest opium producer and recent WikiLeaks cables show that the Americans say only one minister in the cabinet is uncorrupt.
/ dfO{nf] s'/ f s] eg] ;/ sf/ L :t/ df / fd|f] s'6gLlts ;DaGw / x] klg d} n] ckmufgL / kfls:tfgL JolQm– JolQmaLrsf] ;DaGw eg] lr;f] / x] sf] kfP“ . ckmufgLx? kfls:tfgLx?nfO{ k6Ss} dg gk/ fpg] / x] 5g\ . While their eastern neighbour is hated on the ground, to the far southeast is India that they cannot stop praising, for everything, including its role in the counter-balance of regional politics. One of the most amazing stories to have come out of Afghanistan this year was an imposter Taliban who took away with him loads of cash. The peace
initiative started by the president himself and backed by US and other allies faced a major setback when it turned out that a second-in-command Taliban commander, with whom the Afghan and NATO officials were negotiating for months, was an imposter. The public didn’t even seem surprised. And then there is the WikiLeaks – who could have survived that? The leaked cables show growing discontent between the US and Afghan leaders. The US leaders called the Karzai government extremely corrupt, his brother a narcotics dealer, his former vice president a money launderer and the president himself, an erratic and untrustworthy individual. The almostapathetic and fully pessimistic public goes, again: tell me something I don’t already know. No one knows whether the situation is steadily improving or steeply deteriorating. Nine years later, the growing discontent on the ground is that the war in Afghanistan has become less of an agenda to fight terrorism. However, the extended conflict is more serious now than ever and many see a possible humanitarian crisis. Despite the financial, political and military support of the international community to the Afghan government, the situation in the country continues to deteriorate. Nobody believes peace is on its way. But everyone is certain that it is, because they have to, it is, after all, the only way out. More of the writer's posts from Kabul can be read at http://svbel.tumblr.com
(L) The city is highly fortified with blockades, sandwalls and high rise walls like this. Security forces are every where and the capital feels like war even though the attacks have been very less in the last few months. (R) Compound living, is what expatriates call living in Kabul. They seldom go out without proper security and car. Most work inside highly secured walls and security staff.
61 January 2011
PHOTO FEATURE
photos and text by ALOK TULADHAR Color. Enjoyment. Entertainment. Food. Grandeur. Pomp. What is the common factor among all of these words? Happiness. If the â&#x20AC;&#x153;happiness factorâ&#x20AC;? behind the festivals of Nepal is so high, then the people who started them must have been a happy lot indeed. The happiness index of the people who celebrate these age-old festivals nowadays is presumably lower, but they immerse themselves in the revelries with rampant abandon, albeit for a few short moments, to forget the woes of their daily lives.
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ColoUr Without exception, all festivities are full of vibrant color. The week-long Holi festival, marked by this ritual totem erected in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, is celebrated by throwing colored water and powder at each other.
Devotion
Ceremony
Festivals are joyous expression on the community’s faith on its religion. Images of deities, like this palanquin of Asanmaru Ajima, are often carried around in various localities and worshipped vehemently so that it is easier for the masses to participate in the glorification of the deity.
Many festivals in Kathmandu valley are supported by the government. Gurju Paltan, a special ceremonial corps of Nepal Army, accompanies festival parades – such as the chariot processions of Machhindranath and Kumari – around town.
63 January 2011
Display A huge image of Akash Bhairab is put up for display at Indra Chowk in downtown Kathmandu for a week on a specially decorated platform during the Indra Jatra festival. Hundreds of smaller images of Indra, Bhairab and other deities are displayed in public places all over town to mark this festival.
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Enjoyment Many people go out on the streets to participate actively in the pageantry, while others enjoy the unfolding drama from windows and roofs.
Drama A Tibetan community celebrates Lhosar, the new year, with dramatic performances that enthrall children and adults alike. Colorful masked dances are commonly performed by Tibetans and Newars during many festivals. 65 January 2011
Food Food is a major part of any festival, and feasts are usually prepared at home. After worship of deities, small portions of food items (puffed rice in this case) are distributed to everyone around, and devotees take the Prasad – “blessed food” – home to share with family members.
Grandeur Like several other festivals, the new year is celebrated over several days in Bhaktapur and surrounding towns, with chariot pulling and many other pompous activities, participated in by tens of thousands of people. 66 yzine.com.np
Entertainment 'Jhyalincha' (firefly) is a less known character in the spectacular Lakhey dance performed during the week-long Indra Jatra festival. He is chased around by the demon Lakhey, but easily gets lost in the crowds. This play-acting entertains the spectators hugely.
67 January 2011
Ritual Victory of good over evil is enacted (by cutting up long sugarcane plants and/or pumpkins into pieces with ceremonial swords) by ethnic Newars during Dashain as part of their celebrations at home.
Music Folk music is an integral part of any festival, and piped instruments, drums and cymbals of various sizes and shapes are played before, during and after religious ceremonies to appease the gods. 68 yzine.com.np
Pomp Ladies in Nagaan, near Kirtipur in Kathmandu Valley, participate in an oil-lamp procession that passes through Hindu and Buddhist shrines all over town. The flaunting haughtiness of gala carnivals contrast sharply with the general modesty of the people who celebrate them.
69 January 2011
IMPRESSIONS
Kathmandu - a Lasting Passion and a Continuing Surprise text by Phillipa Saxton
I
t might not have been my first visit to Kathmandu, but my emotions on arrival were the same as usual: an overwhelming feeling of ‘coming home’ blended with a sense of peace and tranquility despite the chaotic and appalling traffic. I am always awed by Kathmandu’s amazing ability to sympathetically combine the antiquated with the modern, and all eras in between. The major downtown area of Thamel manages to amalgamate time-honoured traditions, private residences and ancient temples with busy, shop-filled, colourful streets bursting with hotels, backpacker accommodation, bars and restaurants. And it works. One reason behind this successful alliance could be due in part to the transient tourist and ex-pat population. Visitors to Kathmandu are predominantly there for the cultural aspects, back-to-nature experiences or working for humanitarian causes, they are more like temporary residents than tourists. There are mercifully no large bus groups or cruise ship passengers just passing through momentarily and gawping at the sites and people, like spectators at a zoo. The ambiance is unique compared to other popular destinations. My time in Nepal this trip was to be multi-functional: seven weeks all up, working as a volunteer in the Solokhumbu building a hostel for high school girls, leading a motorcycle tour to raise money to assist with the incredible work carried out by Sewa Kendra Leprosy Relief, and spending time at the leprosy hospital and the leprosarium at Gorkhana. Of course best laid plans are often waylaid, and mine were no exception. A client and I inadvertently decided to check out a few more things en route, like an exciting helicopter airlift, the 70 yzine.com.np
excellent medical services provided by the CIWEC clinic, the care and facilities at a small mission hospital in the mountains and the up-to-date technology offered by various medical imaging centres around Kathmandu. And in the process learn more about Nepal and Kathmandu. So, I’m here to tell you the helicopter evacuation for my client, who suffered a slipped disc when up in Solukhumbu, which went without a hitch thanks to the skills of the Nepali pilot. However, I don’t recommend attempting to remove a six-foot tall person, prone on string stretcher, from the upper level of a traditional Sherpa house. Try it, it is not easy. Very little room to manoeuvre, tight corners and very steep stairs add up to a situation, which under other circumstances would be totally comical. As usual, success was largely due to the good nature of the local people. My own situation, spending three nights in a small mission hospital in a rural area, was an experience I would rather not repeat, but one which I’m glad I had. It showed me firsthand what a group of dedicated, caring people could achieve to make life safer and more bearable for the sick living away from a big city. The doctors at the Mission Hospital in Tansen are largely volunteers working long hours in relatively primitive surroundings. The Medical Director and his qualified engineer wife
(who is responsible for the extensive additions to the building), both of Indian descent but born and raised in America, have been there as volunteers for an astonishing 11 years! As a result of my illness, I was unable to continue with the motorcycle tour and returned to Kathmandu for further treatment. Spending more time than usual in the city, gave me the opportunity to check out more than just the wonders of Durbar Square, Patan, Bhaktapur and Pashupatinath and the shopping opportunities of Thamel and Durbar Marg. Through my friends, colleagues and associates, I actually got to see and experience a far more modern side to Kathmandu, shopping malls, supermarkets, designer clothing boutiques, interior design and lifestyle emporiums, fabulous restaurants and great local musical talent. As a bonus, I found I’d travelled half way round the world to watch my very first 3-D movie. My friends in Kathmandu were highly amused I hadn’t seen one before (they’d already seen Avatar, twice) and like a kid, I was entranced by the experience. Kathmandu is not at all what one expects from the glossy travel brochures, guides and the myriad of travel shows on television, which portray it as an exotic backwater in a Third World country. Although sadly hampered by political problems and a hopeless electricity supply, in reality Kathmandu is a vibrant growing capital city in a Developing Country. The trick now is to preserve the city’s great cultural wealth while moving forward. Personally, I hope to be back again very soon. Phillipa Saxton is a travel journalist, writer, editor and documentary writer. She is passionate about introducing people to her favorite destinations – preferably via their preferred method of transport – motorcycle.
71 January 2011
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