Monday, July 25, 2005

$100,000


I thought in terms of raising money for a possible movement for democracy, and that was several months back: To: George Soros (April 2). The Soros people consider Nepal outside their target region, so there is not an option to apply.

Since then I have moved to NYC. I am a happy, bubbley New Yorker, have been for over two months now: I feel like I have found my hometown. I also just so happen to be amidst reengineering my career path: Resume 2.0.

Meeting Anil Shahi yesterday (Kunda Dixit In Jackson Heights) might lead me into another direction. He called earlier today. Arnico of Sajha fame is coming down to NYC from Boston two weeks from now, and the three of us are going to hang out for hours. Like hours and hours.

And I have been thinking. I sent off an email to Anilji. This is what.

I become President of the Alliance For Democracy And Human Rights In Nepal. Nothing against Sanjaya Parajuliji, a fellow Teraiwasi to boot, but he can stick around as an Officer. And I write to the National Endowment for Democracy for $100,000. I pay myself $1000 a month, to put in upwards of 30 hours a week, and the rest of the money goes to something like this: Wiki: Shape The Movement.

If democracy is not established by winter, we have failed. There has to be a sense of urgency.

This is early stage thinking on my part. My business involvements, very early stage anyways, the number one reason I moved to the city, can be done on the side, part time. And I am someone capable of long hours.

One thing is for sure. I am not someone in exile awaiting a political career in Nepal. That just is not on my map. All you have to do is take a look at my resume, and you will see why: my aspirations are to do with the internet.

But I do have some ideas that I would like to play out in Nepal. True, the involvement is primarily emotional, but it is also intellectual. Nepal is like a human laboratory. Ideas tested there can be applied at larger scales. (Proposed Constitution, Reorganized UN, Methods)

I also prepared the framework for an online think tank: 21st Century Nepal. It just got to be populated now!

In The News
  • Nepali municipality elections to be held Xinhua, China ....Election Commission has completed all necessary preparations for the coming municipality elections and a date for it will be announced by mid October.... announcing and holding elections before mid-April 2006 and will hold elections in all the country's 58 municipalities within a year's time..... total number of voters was 15,049,438 in 3,915 villages and 58 municipalities
  • Nepal: Stealth of Nations PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal
  • Youth leaders demand clear agenda Kathmandu Post, Nepal .... Chandra Bhandari, youth leader of Nepali Congress ..... CPN-UML leader Shankar Pokharel ..... both the extremists -- Maoists and active monarchists -- are clear about their agenda but political parties are still confused. "Since the Maoists are a force that has emerged from among the people, we should be closer to them." Pokharel also said the parties should democratize..... NP Saud of NC (Democratic).... Saud added that all cadres are pressurizing the party to join hands with Maoists for their defense at the local level...... Ghanashyam Bhushal of CPN-UML.... Student leader Gagan Thapa, said the root cause of the present problem was feudalistic structure of Nepali society, and claimed that it would continue until progressive forces come together against the feudals.... NSP (Anandi Devi) leader Anil Jha said formulation of a new constitution through constituent assembly should decide whether we need monarchy.
  • PFN to re-launch exposure campaign Kathmandu Post, Nepal Maoists have abducted six persons including local leaders of People's Front Nepal (PFN), industrialists and ex-Maoists.... Mukti Sharma, a former full-time party cadre of the rebel outfit, was also abducted from his home at Markabang in Ratapani....
  • We want to help promote democracy: Daschle Kathmandu Post, Nepal National Democratic Institution for International Affairs (NDI) which has sponsored Daschle's July 21-27 visit..... "I am troubled by lack of movement toward reconciliation and lack of efforts by all concerned to engage in meaningful dialogue toward reconciliation" ..... Daschle also inquired about state policy on government advertisements.
  • Parties want greater Maoist commitment Kathmandu Post, Nepal.... more concrete steps from Maoists to create conducive atmosphere for dialogue .... take concrete steps toward implementing their commitments.... five fundamental things: stop harassing political activists, stop obstructing their political activities, ensure smooth running of schools, not obstruct anti-regression movement and express clear and institutional commitment to multiparty polity, human rights and rule of law..... "Abduction of three cadres of People's Front Nepal in Pyuthan and reports of rape of a United Left Front cadre are the recent cases of their brutality against our cadres" .... parties, however, reiterated that there was no alternative to dialogue to resolve the problems and intensify joint movement..... reinstatement of the House of Representatives, an all-party government and constituent assembly election were basic procedures needed for resolving the Maoist problem...... back the protest programs launched by civil servants, civil society, lawyers, journalists and HR activists....NC President Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Nepal, NC (Democratic) Acting President Gopal Man Shrestha, People's Front Nepal leader Chitra Bahadur Ale, NWPP leader Narayan Man Bijukchhe, NSP (Anandi Devi) leader Bharat Bimal Yadav and United Left Front leader C P Mainali.
  • Import of Brahimi-Daschle visits Kathmandu Post, Nepal ....both these gentlemen are not only keen observers of international politics, they also wield considerable influences .... Nepal now ranks very high on the agenda of the UN and the US radar .... Rice: 'Giving security priority over democracy gives us neither…. Democracy is the only idea powerful enough to overcome division, hatred, and violence.' ..... Brahimi, who has been to many of the really troubled hot spots of the globe ..... a return to constitutional order and multiparty democracy, an end to hostilities, and an inclusive national dialogue..... In Sri Lanka it is Norway-monitored truce which is still holding. The daily death toll has stopped since the cease-fire was inked..... Right now the ball is in the king's court.
  • Three RNA men hurt in blast Kathmandu Post, Nepal
  • ‘Democracy years better than Panchayat years’ Kathmandu Post, Nepal ....economists on Sunday shed light on the significant achievements of the 12-year period..... 12 years of democracy .... 30 years of the king's direct rule pre-1990 .... overall development, including economic and social development, was much more during the democratic period.....national poverty index decreased by 11 percent during the democratic years..... literacy rate was 39.6 percent before 1990, whereas it reached 55 percent.... only 7036 km of road network was constructed till 1990 whereas it has reached over 16834 now..... After restoration of democracy, over 40 percent households across the country received electricity, that was very negligible until 1990..... foreign investment increased by 22 percent and that provided employment opportunity to over 92,000 laborers..... in the last five months after the February One move, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has decreased to 2 percent from the expected 4 to 4.5 percent..... import and export ratio has also decreased greatly and inflation has reached 6 percent..... In the social sector, national investment increased by 19 percent..... admitted that there were some weaknesses in democratic practices and governance that must be corrected in future to consolidate the future of democracy
  • Army doesn't deny Maoists have infiltrated the city, but says it ... OhmyNews International, South Korea ..... Maoist rebels have hopes to attack Kathmandu ..... Deepak Gurung said, "Though the rebels are trying to attack Kathmandu, security personnel are alert and ready to oppose their attacks." ...... a special Maoist task force has entered the capital. Gurung didn't deny the movement of rebels in Kathmandu..... said the placement of explosives in different parts of the capital is the same as the terrorist bombings in London ..... Panic spread after people learned the rebels may lay siege to the capital ..... After the breakdown of the second cease-fire in August 2003, 4,490 rebels have been killed in security operations, while 508 security personnel lost their lives in the same period. The army also informed the press that in the same period 8,806 Maoist rebels surrendered......the government has increased the security budget to 19 billion rupees (approximately $270 million), up 26 percent from last year's 14.7 billion rupees ($209 million)...... 1998's 5.46 billion rupees ($78 million) -- 9.7 percent of the annual budget.
  • Protesters clash with Nepal police Peninsula On-line, Qatar
  • Total democracy : Student leaders see it as a republican set-up Himalayan Times, Nepal ....the agitating parties say they are fighting for total democracy, a delightfully vague concept, student leaders affiliated to those parties have started defining total democracy as establishment of a republican set-up...... Ram Kumar Basnet, vice-president of the All Nepal National Free Students ..... Jhalanath Khanal, standing committee member of the CPN-UML, said full democracy could not be restored unless the feudal system was uprooted..... Our correspondent in Janakpurdham said leaders of eight student unions demanded that the political parties make clear their position on a constituent assembly. At a public debate on Total democracy and people's movement at Janakpur today, they said the course of the agitation has been directed towards the establishment of a republican set-up. Secretary of ANNFSU (Unified), Mohan Timilsina, said enormous change was needed in the country.
  • RCCC rejects ADB report on Melamchi; Deuba, Singh cry foul NepalNews .....members of the RCCC bench ruled that the ADB report could not be taken into consideration while deciding the case .... talking to media persons after the trial at the RCCC office, Deuba and Singh strongly deplored the RCCC’s ruling not to recognise the ADB report..... It is for the first time the ADB’s Manila headquarters has conducted a study on such matters..... Deuba said, adding, “All these men [RCCC commissioners] are trying to do is to pursue political vendetta.” “How can a person of my stature indulge in corruption?” a visibly miffed Deuba questioned....... Singh termed the RCCC trial as a drama. “This is a poorly-staged drama aimed at assisting the King in destroying the achievements of the 1990’s movement” .... Another trial, probably the final one, will be on Monday.
  • Civil society leaders to take to streets on Monday NepalNews .... In what is seen as a bid to re-enact ‘jana andolan’ 1990, people from various walks of life are staging a peaceful demonstration at Ratna Park –a restricted area-- in the capital, Kathmandu, Monday afternoon..... Dr Devendra Raj Panday, Dr Mathura Prasad Shrestha and Krishna Pahadi...... the constitutional monarchy has converted itself into an absolute one, citizen’s right to organize and associate has been hijacked and free press has been strangled. Unelected and unaccountable individuals are in the seat of power.
  • No noose is good noose Kunda Dixit Nepali Times .... Now that all lorries in Kathmandu Valley are obediently following the new traffic regulation to cover their cargo with blue plastic sheets we can safely say with some degree of certainty, that there has been a vast improvement in the law and order situation in the country...... the cynical and jaded communists (oops, columnists) ..... ever since the warbles of mobiles were heard again in Pokhara this week, people instinctively knew that the worst was over and that our ship of state is now sailing forth into a glorious sunset and headed right into the tip of an iceberg...... After dominating the civil service for centuries and making inroads into the army, Bahuns are now going where no Bahun has gone before: to the top of Mt Everest.......the presence of the first priest on the peak did raise some eyebrows from indigenous locals who were heard to mutter: “They’re everywhere, they leave nothing for us.” ...... Overheard in a pub at Namche: “After all, she went up a Newarni and came down a Sherpini.”
  • Should the parties respond to the Maoist offer of negotiations? Nepali Times Poll ...
  • CK Lal Nepali Times .... In Kathmandu, time either stands still or it races like a monsoon flashflood...... That event proved King Birendra’s assertions to premier Krishna Prasad Bhattarai that the army was under the sole control of its supreme commander. And the Maoists learnt that there was no point sacking the headquarters of Dolpa–ultimate state power rested in Narayanhiti....... December 2000 when rumour-mongers succeeded in stoking the fires of hyper-nationalism over what Hrithik Roshan never said....... probably the worst slaughter of royals in human history ...... Deuba dissolved parliament in the dead of night on 22 May 2002. A day earlier, COAS Prajwalla S Rana had hinted about the army’s impatience with democratic rule. The creeping militarisation of the state had started in earnest but Deuba failed to see the trap....... Despite intense international pressure, the king has refused to correct the course of post-modern monarchy where the country is run like a large estate...... since we had a guest editor-in-chief poring over our copy ...... The charge of not being sufficiently nationalistic has been levelled at me so often that I have come to regard it as a professional hazard.......
  • Nepal: The Realignment Race NepalNews ..... The retention of the entire existing cabinet line-up, too, is being seen by the opposition as a signal of the palace’s unwillingness to compromise..... many of the new ministers were until recently prominent members of the kingdom’s leading parties, the Nepali Congress and the Unified Marxist Leninists (UML)......
  • Nepal police detain democracy activists Reuters AlertNet, UK
  • Nepal parties reject Maoist rebels offer of talks Reuters AlertNet .....The king has ignored international pressure, including from the United States, to restore democracy and analysts say he is far from cutting any deal with the parties or the Maoists.
  • Nepal parties ask Maoists to commit to multi-party democracy Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
  • Nepal's controversial rebel road BBC News, UK ...an eight-year-old village boy ... We asked what he was going to see. Quietly excited, he uttered the prolonged word - "Bus!" .... built by villagers with immense skill and little mechanical help. In places it is supported from below by banks of stones packed tightly together...... the surreal sight of a jeep coming up the road .... "We plan to extend our road network westwards," he said. "We're also planning to spread electricity provision and build new village markets. But the road is the backbone of our plan."......
  • Absolute power corrupts... Daily Pioneer, India
  • Nepalese Police Detain Anti-King Demonstrators Voice of America
  • FNJ Condemns Sacking of 21 NTV Journos Himalayan Times, Nepal the mass "lay off" of twenty one "pro-democratic" journalists of the state owned Nepal Television..... NTV''s district correspondent Srinarayan Shah from Dhanusha district, Prem KC, FNJ's Banke district president
  • WAR AND PEACE Kantipur Online, Nepal A conflict doesn’t end overnight. It’s a long, slow process, in which two parties, once they arrive at the table, go from small negotiations to more contentious ones. .... Mediation is tough business ..... More usually, it is the rebel forces that reject UN intervention..... The UN may be invited to mediate in a conflict and then find that its suggestions are roundly rejected...... The UN seems to do better with territorial disputes that do not already involve massive loss of human life and historic resentments...... Norway was perceived not to have any vested interests in Sri Lanka.... The Norwegians have strong experience in international mediation in Guatemala, Colombia, Haiti, Sudan, Aceh, and the Philippines, among others..... thus far, the conflict seems to have quieted down. As Norway's peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, said: “No one expects the conflict to be solved in weeks or months.”....... Lessons learnt from the Norwegian experience? Support negotiations of the warring parties. Support mechanisms to monitor commitments. Demonstrate real “peace dividends” that benefit people on the ground...... successful mediation is only possible if both parties have a genuine will for peace..... In Nepal’s case, that might mean leaving children out of the conflict by both parties, to start with. Stopping torture could be a second step. Not blockading food to civilian populations might be a third......
  • Empowering the people of Nepal: Sociopolitical and economic devolution Dr. Pramod Aryal, Dr. Surendra Devkota ..... focus should be in empowering different nationalities, minorities, and women, too .... Contrary to unification under one language, religion, and central governance, political devolution with sovereignty would truly unite the country and move ahead towards comprehensive prosperity of nationalities, minorities, women and population at large......
  • Indian Officials Harassing South Asia Tribune New Delhi ... South Asia Tribune, VA The harassment of Rajnath in New Delhi comes shortly after Pakistan Government had placed the South Asia Tribune Editor, Shaheen Sehbai, on the infamous Exit Control List which prohibits Pakistani citizens to leave the country. Sehbai is in Washington but if he enters Pakistan, he will not be allowed to leave the country..... Nadeem first tried to bribe Rajnath and offered to pay Rs10,000 per month for writing one story per month against Pakistan or Bangladesh or Nepal or Hurriyat Conference or Naxalites or any one else suggested by the security agencies..... Nadeem claimed that many top journalists covering External, Home and Defense Ministries were on the payroll of security agencies or the concerned ministries and they received handsome compensation packages..... the situation took an ugly turn when the following two stories were published in the SAT:......1. “Tamil Tigers Training Nepalese Rebels: An Interview Revealing All”, published on July 8, 2005, and ..... 2. “Maoist Working Hard to Carve Out Their Own Country”, published on July 24, 2005....... Nadeem started calling Rajnath desperately and repeatedly asked him to disclose the source of his story about the Maoists. ..... the Foreign Ministry officials think Rajnath had exposed the Indian policy on Nepal for what it was worth...... “Though these stories may be true, when they are published in the international media, they cause ripples and tarnish the image of India. Such is the impact of the international media, particularly web newspapers.......

    Clarification regarding use of quotations attributed to Foreign Secretary, Official Spokesperson etc by Mr. Arun Rajnath


    28/02/2005

    It has been noted that a person filing as Mr. Arun Rajnath for the South Asia Tribune (Washington D.C.) has been using quotations and attributing them to the Foreign Secretary, Official Spokesman, MEA officials, etc. It is clarified that these quotations are absolutely fictitious. No quotations contained in Mr. Rajnath’s stories should be taken as accurate unless they are corroborated by official MEA statements or press briefings.

    New Delhi
    February 28, 2005

    Press Releases
    Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi
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Sunday, July 24, 2005

Shambhu Thapa On Radio Dovaan



Radio Dovaan July 24 Program Minute 26:15, Minute 43:50
Shambhu Thapa At Bichar Bimarsha Samudaya Audio 34 minutes, 59 seconds July 16th
Shushil Pyakurel 16 minutes, 12 seconds
Gopal Siwakoti 12 minutes, 53 seconds

I managed to ask two questions:
  1. The seven parties have finally come around to the idea of a Constituent Assembly, which is to say they now agree the 1990 constitution is dead. But the demand that the 1999 parliament be revived is to suggest maybe that is not so. Don't you think their sticking to the revival demand is what is hampering mass participation in the movement for democracy?
  2. Like the king looks regressive to the Bahun democrats, the Bahun democrats look regressive to the DaMaJaMa. What do you think of that?
Thanks Radio Dovaan for hosting, but I found the answers rather dissatisfactory. Thapa clearly belongs with those who think the 1990 constitution somehow needs to be preserved, the civil war be damned. That thinking stands in the way of social justice.

It is like with these NC, UML types you almost have to read their names backwards to get a feel for where they are coming from.

This was the first time I listened to this radio program. Is this the only Nepali language radio in the US? I think their presentation was pretty impressive. Good thing they archive their shows, so people can access the programs on their own schedule, and from wherever in the world.

They might want to present themselves as some kind of a portal for audio content on the web in the languages of Nepal. Just a thought.

In The News
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Possible Framework For A Maoist-Democrat Alliance


  1. Form an eight party dialogue team that stays permanent: the seven democratic parties and the Maoists. Encourage participation by some of the top most names in all parties. This is key. Getting into dialogue mode does not mean you are agreeing to anything. And this does not even signal a start of the dialogue. The two sides have already been talking through press statements. Such are less effective ways. Even if the democrats' worst fear of the Maoists is true, this step is an important one to take. Personally I don't subscribe to those fears. I think the senior Maoists are seriously looking for a soft, progressive landing. But if you harbor those fears, more the reason to meet them in person and really question them and get a feel for them. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. If that is how you would like to see it.
  2. Assuming we agree there is no military solution to the civil war, and even if there is, the democrats are not gun people, but primarily because there is a broad agreement the solution has to be political, and that the goal is to bring the Maoists into the political mainstream, we have got to admit that the goal has three steps to it: (1) acknowledge that the Maoists are not in the mainstream right now, they are at point A, (2) they have to be brought into the mainstream of non-violent, multi-party competitive politics, which is point B, and (3) point A to point B is a process, a delicate journey. It is not a simple yes-no question. They need to be dragged, cajoled, bullied, if need be, helped, reprimanded, praised along the way. To take offense that the Maoists happen to be armed right now is naive. It is to not acknowledge the existence of point A.
  3. So, if the solution is political, that solution comes out through dialogue: there is no other way. Political work gets done through dialogue. So if you refuse to engage in the most direct possible dialogue, you are no longer standing with your formerly stated position that the desirable and the only possible solution to the civil war is political.
  4. Once you do move into this concrete dialogue mode, then you can talk. You get to ask them all the hard questions. You can have them comply with the UN human rights teams. They have already made it clear it is their official position that they wish to comply with the global human rights regime. You make them live by their words. You help them live by their words.
  5. To ask them to disarm right away is not realistic. Only a government with the powers to order the army back into the barracks can legitimately demand the Maoists disarm. But there are other demands that can be made. Like, do not attack any civilians. Or even, hold your guns, have an undeclared ceasefire.
  6. And then the parties have to chalk out a major movement that might see a broad participation by the people in all the towns and villages in the country. The parties have to get assurances from the Maoists that they will not infiltrate the mass movement to give it violent turns.
  7. The goal would be to form a seven party interim government. That government can be formed through dialogue with the king if he exhibits flexibility. Or if he sticks to his ways, such a government can be declared unilaterally once the movement has reached criticial momentum.
  8. Forget the idea of reviving the 1999 parliament. Either the 1990 constitution is dead or it is alive. It can not be both. The very fact that now you have finally come around to the idea of a Constituent Assembly shows you are accepting the idea that the 1990 document is dead. And if it is dead, a parliament that took place under its behest is also dead. Move on, forget it.
  9. Once the interim government is formed, initiate formal peace talks with the Maoists. Do it yourself if you can, if not seek UN help. Kofi Annan has been salivating to help. The goal of the talks should be to disarm the Maoists so as to facilitate their participation in the interim government.
  10. Then the eight party government organizes elections to a Constituent Assembly. I am aware all seven parties have people among them who are for a constitutional monarchy. They all also have republicans in their ranks. Such disagreements can be settled peacefully through the Assembly. It is not for the leaders in the eight parties to decide the fate of the monarchy. That is a decision for the Nepali voters to make.
  11. The Assembly gives the country a new constitution. And the country is back on track, democracy is back on track.
  12. The collective goal after that: double digit economic growth.
In The News
  • Prachanda Statement INSN
  • Janadesh 32
  • Monarchy Stands Firm Asia Times ...... The economy, based on subsistence farming, would have already collapsed if the remittances sent by Nepalis working mainly as unskilled labor in the Gulf countries had not kept it floating...... A culture of self-censorship is developing, to the dismay of Nepali intelligentsia and their well-wishers abroad..... Ramesh Nath Pandey, also during the reign of the late king. Pandey, who then was only a king’s nominee in the upper house of parliament, admitted in a newspaper interview that he had had secret meetings with top Maoist leaders - billed terrorists by the government of the day. Adding an element of curiosity, Pandey declined to disclose their whereabouts for the sake of the safety of Maoists. He also did not mention who authorized those clandestine meetings. Political developments of the recent past portend more complexities....... ...... Nepalis hostage in their own countryBloomfield was given a second reprimand after he spoke to an academic group about the principle of rule of law. He said he picked up the issue because King Gyanendra himself had mentioned its importance in his proclamation of February 1...... despite their best efforts and wide publicity, the RNA remains largely on the defensive...... Gautam has told Nepali intelligentsia a number of times that a stage comes when the UN is compelled to take measures aimed at stopping the violence from spreading...... the UN is an organization that leaves the country once its assigned job is completed - like in Cambodia....... King Gyanendra , who has remained indifferent to internal political unrest, continues to ignore messages and appeals coming from the international front. Of course, he has granted audiences to a stream of international visitors in the past couple of months, and almost all of them have heard the king reiterating his commitment to democracy and human rights....... the king had surprised many through the appointment of retired army generals to important diplomatic posts. Loyalty is taking precedence over competence in matters relating to appointments and promotions....... the royal proclamation was indeed a thin veil for a power-grab...... The alliance of seven major political parties has now understood that there is no alternative to a decisive, nationwide movement for the restoration of democracy........ how will US and other initiatives work to restore democracy in Nepal? Will it be through organizations such as the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which was active in Kyrgyzstan “Tulip” revolution? Speculation abounds, especially in context of Nepal’s location: China, Nepal’s northern neighbor, is the US’s biggest rival.......
  • Empowering the people of Nepal: Sociopolitical and economic devolution INSN ..... a reconciliatory approach for coexistence is a failure approach ..... focus should be in empowering different nationalities, minorities, and women...... Contrary to unification under one language, religion, and central governance, political devolution with sovereignty would truly unite the country and move ahead towards comprehensive prosperity of nationalities, minorities, women and population at large....... devolution will also increase innovation among local governments as they can develop as “laboratories of democracy.”...... demonstrate what program works and what does not under specific internal political, administrative, and socio-economic conditions..... the Dhimal community of Jhapa; Chepang community of Chitwan; Tharus of Chitwan area, Dang, Deukhuri, Banke and Bardiya; Rai-Limbu community of Eastern Nepal hills; Sherpa’s around Everest region; Maithali speaking Terai Bashi between Bagmati and Koshi basin; people of Terai origin between Koshi and Mechi basin, or between Bagmati basin and Thori jungle or between Naryani and Rapit basin; Newar community in and around Kathmandu valley; Gurung community around Annapurna Range; Magar community in the hills of Kaligandaki basin; Manag people in Manag valley; Muslim community of Rautahat, parts of Rupandehi/Kapilbastu, Banke and Bardiya; people of Terai origin of Nawalparasi, Rupandehi and Kapilbastu; and Humli of Karnali basin; Dotyal, Acchamis and Aitwal of far western region; and the Dalits who are scattered throughout the country but are destitute....... A novel constitution is needed to institutionalize the democracy at local and regional levels.....
  • US On Nepal's Case Asia Times .... Fresh from its perceived success in Kyrgyzstan, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an American non-governmental organization, has a new mission in Nepal ..... The NED makes no bones of its concerns about Uighur Chinese, and is known to have earlier funded anti-China forces in Tibet........ openly receiving special appropriations from the US Congress, the NED...... its recent role in the “color-coded” revolutions in Central Asia ...... “democratic revolutions” were designed to help Washington and antagonize Moscow and Beijing...... The NED has extensive ties to the AFL-CIO trade union bureaucracy that was identified during the 1960s and 1970s for its efforts to topple governments deemed unfriendly to Washington....... bring down governments in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine ..... Akayev joins the ranks of a long list of former US assets, including such figures as Manuel Noriega of Panama, Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Saddam Hussein of Iraq...... India has been accused of human-rights violations in the northeast on more than one occasion...... more than 200 NGOs are operating in some of the major states of northeastern India...... several of India’s northeastern states have been heavily evangelized by Baptist and other missionaries...... more than 85% of the residents in Mizoram are Christians...... The troubled state of Nagaland also has an overwhelming majority of Christians..... Dutch missionaries have been found active in the northeastern state of Tripura..... guerrilla leaders in conflict with New Delhi go to the Netherlands to meet Dutch NGO officials prior to or after their meetings with officials in New Delhi...... several districts in West Bengal and Assam where Muslims have become a predominant majority...... As reportedly envisioned by the US State Department at the time, Project Brahmaputra was to initiate a movement for a “United States of Assam”, bringing together the northeastern insurgent groups under a “Seven Units Liberation Army”....... President George W Bush, in his January 22, 2004, state of the union message, vowed to double the NED budget...... the evening the “Tulip” revolution” took to the streets and drove out Akayev...... the National Endowment for Democracy, the American lifeline for dissidents worldwide...... Uighur Muslims in East Turkistan (Xinjiang province, that is) and Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet...... just a month after 9/11, he specifically warned China not to use the fight against terrorism as an excuse to persecute its minorities ...... the presence of the NED, backed by the Bush administration, in Nepal raises the specter of an aggressive US involvement on the Tibet issue..... The age-old traditions valid in Nepal as well as in Tibet do not allow Buddhists to be prosecuted for petty offences...... The pressure on the Tibetan issue came to the fore when Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao reportedly cancelled his Nepal visit during a recent South Asia tour because King Gyanendra could not satisfy the Chinese demands......
  • New Alignments In Nepal INSN .... the gap between the two sides is narrowing ... if two of the three actors — the King, the political parties, and the Maoists — join hands they can trump the third ......
  • LTTE not training Nepal’s Maoists in India: Police Indo-Asian News Service ..... After a discussion with top police and intelligence officials, Governor Buta Singh said Monday that the state police had not come up with any such evidence so far.
  • Interview: Krishna Pahadi INSN .....Peaceful movement against the unconstitutional and undemocratic activities of the king is the only one way out..... The political leaders are advocating for full democracy but the general people have not understood the true meaning of this term...... The royal proclamation itself was the extreme violation of human right. Then onwards rule of law, fundamental independence have been destroyed in the country.
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Saturday, July 23, 2005

Kunda Dixit In Jackson Heights


Kunda Dixit is a product of the Columbia University School Of Journalism, reputed the very best in the world. He has worked for several top notch global names in journalism. And, his claim to fame, he is the lead person behind the Nepali Times, a top quality paper coming out of Nepal that I have been reading online for the longest time, but only today got a hard copy, from Dixit himself.

Venue: Delhi Palace. Dixit compared it to the choice destination for the exiled leaders.

His talk was well informed and balanced, and the discussion in the aftermath was lively.

The samosa was great.

A small group of us, Anil Shahi, Sanjaya Parajuli and about four others, went to an after party at the Himalayan Yak Restaurant. I met Anil Shahi for the first time, but we met like old friends. We have been meeting online for so long. The table talk was all political. There were all these Nepali Speaking High Caste Males struggling to see the difference between the words "madisey" and Madhesi, and a law student from Tucson - Nepali female, Chanda - interning for now with the Human Rights Watch, who presided over the proceedings. . It was agreed instead to settle on the word Teraiwasi. There is less room for tongue-slip there.

40 Photos.

Video Clips: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 .

Samudaya Audio: 1 hour, 10 minutes.

In The News
  • The UN, India And Nepal Kunda Dixit In New York Nepali Times ... India is lobbying hard for expansion of the UN Security Council despite staunch opposition from the US and China, a move that could in turn have a bearing on its role in resolving the crisis in Nepal...... officials fanning out to world capitals .... India has ASEAN endorsement and has amassed more than 100 of the 128 votes needed...... The G-4’s proposal is to expand the Council from 15 to 25, with six permanent and four non-permanent members. But the fact is that the G-4 are firmly opposed by some of their own neighbours. China doesn’t want Japan in. Brazil doesn’t have the Latin bloc, India has only Bhutan’s support from South Asia and Italy doesn’t want Germany...... “The Oval Office conversation represents the highest level American conversation on the state of democracy in Nepal, and the president and prime minister were in close agreement on the issue.” ...... It may also have to review its opposition to UN mediation in the Maoist conflict. New Delhi today needs Kofi Annan’s goodwill, knowing he has taken a keen interest in helping Nepal resolve its conflict. Besides, there is a real danger the revolution could spread to India....... The palace and the army do not like the idea of a UN role, while in their search for a soft landing the Maoists have sought UN or international mediation...... Some officials say India’s desire for a Council berth and its need to be seen as a regional stabilising force present a window of opportunity to lift objections to UN mediation. But that leaves the palace.
  • Review Of Narayan Wagle's Novel Kunda Dixit Nepali Times ... Nepal’s slide began with the beginning of the insurgency 10 years ago and it was after the royal massacre of 1 June 2001 that things really started hurtling out of control..... Narayan Wagle, the journalist who rose up the ranks to become the chief editor of Kantipur...... He taught himself English spending days at the British Council while the People’s Movement protests raged on the streets outside..... Growing up in Tanahu, Narayan was so fond of taking high dives to swim in the river that after he nearly drowned twice, his parents sold off their riverside property and moved to a farm up in the mountains just to take their son away from danger..... I empathise with Narayan’s feeling of inadequacy about journalism’s capacity to provide a true picture of our nation’s trauma...... Nepal’s social fabric is being torn apart and all we are doing is reporting it with the journalism of detachment..... every story of a landmine killing children, abduction of students, young women disappeared by security forces is a heart-rending family tragedy...... the fragile and undeclared love between Drishya and Palpasa, a first-generation American Nepali who has returned to the land of her parents after being unable to take post-9/11 racism..... the atrocities, executions, disappearances and people caught in the crossfire .... this novel as fresh as an open wound, the author’s imagination makes Nepal’s real unfolding tragedy come alive with raw urgency.....drags us to the edge and forces us to peer down at the abyss below
  • Delhi prods Nepal Calcutta Telegraph, India
  • India wants multiparty democracy established in Nepal Deepika
  • India asks Nepal king, parties to start talks Hindu, India
  • India asks King, parties to start dialogue Outlook
  • Nepal troops die in Maoist ambush BBC News, UK
  • 19 killed in Nepal violence IANS
  • Security forces killed in Nepal rebel ambush Scotsman, United Kingdom
  • Nepal jails six peacekeepers for sex abuse in Congo Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates
  • 7 securitymen, 12 guerrillas killed in mid-western Nepal Xinhua, China
  • Daschle meets Koirala, Pandey ..... all constitutional forces must try on their part to retrieve the derailed political process. Daschle was also of the view that it would be better if the King took the initiative..... He asked whether there was any overture from the King to solve the crises. Koirala repotedly responded in the negative.
  • Daschle Meets Madhav Nepal Himalayan Times, Nepal ..... at the latter's office at Balkhu
  • Maoists' arms no bar for talks: Nepal Kathmandu Post .... the political parties' negotiation process with the Maoists would move ahead after the formation of a monitoring team of human rights activists .... "If any political party wants to reconcile with the king, they will meet a similar fate as the UML did."
  • Maoists don’t need to lay down arms for dialogue: Nepal Kantipur Online, Nepal “The crisis in the country will not come to an end unless the Maoists are brought to political mainstream”
  • Two leaders, two tunes on Maoist talks Himalayan Times
  • UML weighs Prachanda’s call Himalayan Times
  • King interested in restoring democracy: Singh Kantipur Online Indian State Minister for External Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh Thursday said the King is interested in restoring democracy in Nepal.
  • Nepal civil servants denounce ban Hindu, India Hundreds of Nepalese civil servants took to the streets ... more than 70,000 government staff
  • Three Maoists Killed in Dhanusha Himalayan Times Ram Sewak Thakur, 35, of Hathale Tawa VDC-7 and Ganga Ram Yadav, 45, of Machijhitakhiya VDC- 4 ... Ram Udagar Kapar of Raghunathpur VDC- 2
  • Melamchi Case Hearing on Sunday Himalayan Times supporters of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) organised a protest rally near Pulchowk demanding immediate release of their party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and party leader Prakash Man Singh. The rally was organised as Deuba and Singh were being taken to the commission office. Police intervened the rally.
  • FNJ announces fresh stir Kantipur ...third phase of nationwide protests .... demonstrations would be staged in Kathmandu on August 5 and outside Kathmandu on July 31. Demonstrations will also be organized across the country on September 16 .... condemned continuous attacks on the unity of professional journalists in recent days
  • RNA man kills a policeman Kantipur .... eyewitnesses claimed that the RNA man had shot Adhikari over a dispute.
  • 3 Maoists killed in Dhanusha Kantipur
  • King’s autocratic rule has failed: Speaker Kantipur .. Speaker Tara Nath Ranabhat... The speaker also accused political parties of failing to oppose the King’s move with full strength and said that he would be seen as the real leader if took to the street.
  • Daschle parleys with Koirala, Moriarty Kantipur .... held separate parleys with Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and US Ambassador James F. Moriarty.....
  • Nepal’s economic situation remains grim Kantipur
  • Maoists torch 3 buses in Morang Kantipur ... The Maoists disembarked all passengers before setting the bus on fire .... No vehicles are in operation along Ilam-Jhapa, Ilam-Fidim, and Fidim-Taplejung routes due to fear of Maoists
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Friday, July 22, 2005

What Has Narayan Gopal Got To Do With It?

After finishing high school at Budhanilkantha, I moved on to Sanepa in Lalitpur because that is where most of the people from my homevillage were. Most Saturdays there were gatherings where participants would pontificate on "development" work for the village. There were pledges made. Most of that talk amounted to not. In retrospect I see that as homesick people bonding.

And that might apply to the Nepali diaspora in the US. But then not. Some of the acts of the diaspora have been a real contribution to the democratic movement in Nepal.

I am headed to the Kunda Dixit event tomorrow in Jackson Heights. I got a call from the Anil Shahi of Sajha fame not long back. He was returning mine. I confirmed.

Why do I mention that? I have taken great pride in moving beyond text here: links, audio, video. Now I get to move offline. That is an extension I greatly welcome. I might write a casual report on the event to post here. Might take photos. The best part of photos is not carrying the camera around though.

And not long after that I discovered Radio Dovaan, also at Sajha. I sent an email asking what do I have to do to call in? Those folks, they might as well get into podcasting. I am planning to after Odeo takes off.

The last of my 22 video clips is being uploaded right now. Even after that there is a Google lag: they, I guess, go through each submitted video manually to make sure there are no copyright infringements. I emailed them requesting a fast track for me, but looks like the email got sent into outer space, the Craig's List way.

And that is when, after listening to the first part of a Radio Dovaan program, and listening to a small snippet of Narayan Gopal had me googling the icon. And that is another extension, an emotional extension. An involvement in the democratic movement can lead to Narayan Gopal. Who could have thought of that? I am a huge fan. He really stands out, and there I am comparing him to all music I ever listened to. He is among the very best.

And that leads to Nabin, the most famous person of my high school batch. And when you mention Nabin, you got to mention Manoj Acharya, Nabin's lyricist. Manoj is in Baltimore. And with King G and his drama, I guess you also got to mention Prince Paras, another of the classmates.

On one hand, there are all these personal bonds. On the other, it was my high school that lead me to the Sadbhavana, a national school that lives to the 5% ceiling for the Madhesis nationwide. There are defininte mixed feelings.

But then people like Narayan Gopal are in a league of their own. Beyond politics.
Text, links, comments, audio, video, radio, offline event, music.
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Thursday, July 21, 2005

Bush's War On Terror And King G


King G had been reading too many international news magazines, perhaps watching too much TV. On 2/1 he decided he was going to jump onto the Bush bandwagon. If Musharraf can do it. Well, Bush is in news saying King G might think he is with Bush, but that is not how Bush feels about the situation. The leaders of the oldest and the largest democracies met and talked Nepal.

A war on terror is not a war on democracy.

And the Asian Development Bank has come forth one more time to Deuba's defense. Allegations of corruption are blatantly false, the bank has said one more time.

And Norway has cut aid.

38 professional organizations have warned the government.

The common public, the kind that does not necessarily come out into the streets for political demonstrations, has started to lose patience with the new regime's non deliverance. The house of cards has been collapsing.

The terrorism card did not work. The corruption card did not work. Now the regime is on to the time card, the patience card. If only it will hold out long enough, the world will come around to it, it will get used to it. That card is even less strong than the other two cards. The Indo-US-EU alliance is not about to budge. In Nepal's case, because the country is not exactly a Pakistan or a China, strategically speaking, these powers actually can afford to talk and act idealistic, and looks like they are. The whole idea behind 2/1 was that the king can take care of internal dissent. All he has to do is get outer acceptance. Attending a few international conferences does not cut it either. There is this fundamental logjam. This political paralysis.

People like Tulsi Giri actually feel they are on the verge of a "partyless democracy." How delusional can one get!

In The News
  • Bush, Singh stress restoration of democracy in Nepal Kathmandu Post, Nepal US President Geroge W Bush and Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh have agreed that it's extremely crucial for King Gyanendra to restore civil liberties...... With regard to India's bid to secure UN Security Council seat, Bush told Singh that the USA was backing only Japan in this regard.
  • Nepali diaspora in US concerned Kantipur .... Sushil Pyakurel, ex-member of NHRC; Shambhu Thapa, president, Nepal Bar Association; and Dr Gopal Krishna Shiwakoti, human rights activist, are presently in the US .... Pramod Aryal, guest research scientist at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said..... Chautari and Greater Boston Nepalese Community, on July 25, at Harvard University .... Pyakurel met and briefed former Minority leader Senator Tom Daschle .... understand that the king is simply trying to discredit the parties..... "If the international arms supply to Nepal stops, it would put significant pressure on the king"
  • Melamchi on deathbed Kantipur
  • Norway withdraws; ADB says no irregularites Kantipur
  • 38 professional orgs warn govt Kantipur .... warned of launching strong protest programs ... no alternative to a unified and stormy movement to safeguard their trade union rights..... Gorkhapatra Corporation Employees' Association, Federation of Professionals, Nepal Civil Employees' Organization, Nepal National Teachers' Organization, Inter-corporation Employees' Association, Inter-Bank Employees' Association, Nepal Health Technicians' Association, Nepal Nursing Association, Diploma Engineers' Association, Nepal Rangers' Association, TU Progressive Employees' Organization, Nepal Surveyors' Association and Ex-civil Servants' Organization..... Nepal Agriculture Research Council Employees' Association, Para-Veterinary and Livestock Employees' Association, Local Bodies Employees' Association, TU Employees' Association, Nepal Bank Employees' Association, Nepal Rastra Bank Employees' Association, Sanchaya Kosh Employees' Association, Rastriya Beema Sansthan Employees' Association and Nepal Insurance Company Employees' Association.... NEA Employees' Union, Nepal Telecom Employees' Association, Nepal Water Supply Corporation Employees' Association, Dairy Development Corporation Employees' Association, Industrial Estate Management Company Employees' Association, Nepal Oil Corporation Employees' Association, Nepal Food Corporation Employees' Association, Radio Transmission and Development Committee Employees' Association, Cottage and Small Industries Committee Employees' Association, Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation Employees' Association. TCN Employees' Association, JEMC Employees' Association, Agriculture Development Bank Employees' Association and Royal Drugs Limited Employees' Association.
  • Parties condemn use of force Kantipur ... will take out "harsher" protest programs in future..... the "special meeting" of incumbent and ex-lawmakers has been scheduled for July 26 at Birendra International Convention Center.
  • Student unions continue stir Kantipur .... torch rallies in New Baneswor. .. set up a road blockade in front of Shanker Dev College..... more protest programs have been planned out by eight student unions but declined to disclose any details..... the six students arrested were not released though their jail term expired on Wednesday.
  • Politics and political analysis Kantipur .... Panchayat era has been revived completely ... the 1990 movement was terminated without any definite and written document specifying the code and mode of future governance...... Politics is decided and guided by class interest, not by preaching and sermon..... the parties should go to people to earn their faith and educate them about the need of establishing genuine democracy before expecting any substantial achievement
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