Wednesday, October 25, 2006

INDEPTH ANALYSIS:
India 's grand "design" to isolate Nepal

Kathmandu: It has been proven many a times in the past that Nepali leaders seated at the helm of affairs of the State prefer more often than not to "please" Nepal's Southern neighbor in whatever way they can even if that went not in the larger interest of their own country.

Examples galore begin with the signing of the controversial 1950 treaty of peace and friendship with India which instead of peace and friendship generated a sense of hatred and fury against the contracting party.

Add to this the unequal treaties arrived at in between India and Nepal at different intervals of history on sharing of water from Gandak, Koshi and more recently from that of the Mahakali, all were so designed by neighboring India that left Nepal to the mercy of the contracting party for seeking the advantage of our own waters for irrigation purposes.

Analysts conclude that there has not been a single treaty that Nepal has signed with India that have gone in favor of this country and the hence there has been a cry of late in this land that demanded equal treatment from the other side or at best if that does not come into being the treaty itself be scrapped and made null and void.

India , as has become a practice in her conduct of relations with Nepal since 1950, twists the nepali arms as and when this country becomes fragile and politically unstable.

It is altogether a different matter that Nepal 's politics has remained unstable and fluid because of the seen and the unseen "destabilizing" activities of India which apparently Nepali rulers know better or even have felt it for themselves.

As usual, this time again, India concluding that current Nepali politics is in a state of flux advanced the draft of a treaty that if signed by Nepal in haste would not only be suicidal for this country but would also "isolate" Nepal from her immediate neighbors such as China and Pakistan.

The treaty which is still in the form of a draft if signed will oblige Nepal to "deport" any third country national considered inimical by India . The main target of this treaty, as could be understood, is Pakistan and later China .

The treaty in essence demands from Nepal that she handover any third country national-read mainly from Pakistan and China -whom India suspects that they have done crimes against Indian interests.

This draft treaty if unfortunately signed by Nepal would automatically and instantly annoy Pakistan and China and many more countries that have friendly relations with Nepal for India will have a right in that case to deport any of such third country nationals residing in Kathmandu under one pretext or the other.

The entire Indian game is to ISOLATE Nepal from her immediate and other friendly countries.

Fortunately enough, the nepali home minister, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who was all set to make an official trip to India in order to finalize the draft of the said treaty prior to the Dashain festivals, cancelled the Indian invitation citing some internals reasons.

Thanks that minister Sitaula cancelled this trip or else Nepal would have already paid a heavy price diplomatically speaking. Reports have it that Sitaula's sudden cancellation of the trip to India annoyed Indian establishment which is only but natural.

Whether it was prime Minister Koirala's intelligent brain or was it, as the rumors have it, Comrade Prachanda's big "no" to Nepal government's subservient overtures towards India that the "draft treaty" has not yet been finalized .

Reports have it that Comrade Prachanda told straight to Prime Minister Koirala that neither he nor his caretaker government can finalize such a big deal that would definitely have immense negative impact on Nepal 's friendly ties with some of her close neighbors.

However, Comrade Bhattarai, the second man in the Maoists camp, is yet to speak his minds as regards the said draft treaty.

High placed sources claim that envoys from Pakistan and China not only forwarded their strong reservations as against the would-be-treaty with India but also "convinced" Comrade Prachanda of the far reaching ramifications of the treaty on their bilateral relations with Nepal.

This is not all, the Chinese and the Pakistani diplomats in their separate meetings with the government and the Maoists high command AUTHORITIES suggested the Nepali side that if Nepal was so much willing to "oblige" India by signing the self-suicidal treaty for whatever India did since November 22, 2005 in order to bring down the Royal institution, then Nepal should also sign a "similar" treaty with their respective countries in order to neutralize the Indian designs.

It is time that the nepali intellectuals, academicians and the media men understood the gravity of the "Indian designs" that are solely aimed at "isolating" Nepal from rest of the world community.

The sooner we, analysts conclude, understand this design, the better.

BOX NEWS:
NC student activist fears Maoists wrath

Kathmandu : Politics makes friends and foes as well.

Convergence of ideas and theories brings political creatures together. On the contrary, people belonging to different set of ideologies differ sharply with those who practice other set of theories and thus more often than not the differing ideas brings the two different sets to violent conflict which more often than not culminates in the abductions and killings even.

A special case has come to our notice wherein one Student leader belonging to the Nepali congress students union, Bhaswar Bhattarai, was abducted by presumed Maoists militias as back as 3 October 2002 in Biratnagar.

The blunder Mr. Bhattarai committed that he was a genuine congress activist who could not be well digested by his opponents camped in the Maoists paraphernalia.

According to reports made available to this reporter in Biratnagar says that Mr. Bhattarai was lifted by the Maoists men from ward number four of Biratnagar Sub-metropolis fro reasons unknown to his family members.

To recall, Mr. Bhattarai's father, Shri Basanta Bhattarai, is an acclaimed leader of the nepali congress which he continues to be at the moment as well.

Family members of junior Bhattarai-read Bhaswar Bhattarai- claim that the Maoists subjected junior Bhattarai to extreme physical and mental torture for all along eight hours during the detention period.

Following the release from the Maoists unwanted and uncalled for detention, Bhaswar Bhattarai said that the rebels did not allow him even to drink water and threatened of dire consequences if Bhattarai continued to toe the congress line of politics. They even hinted him to leave his home town sooner the better.

Considering the plight of Mr. Bhaswar Bhattarai and his family members, the Nepali Congress central office too has certified officially that Mr. Bhattarai have had been the target of the Maoists political vendetta while he was in Nepal and has appealed all and sundry to extend any humanitarian support to this NC Student activist so that this student leader lives a secured life wherever he might be.

Moved by the mental torture subjected to Mr. Bhaswar Bhattarai by the rebels even the congress sitting president Girija Prasad Koirala through an official letter too has appealed all to extend moral and humanitarian support so that Mr. Bhattarai lives in peace.

Similarly, the Nepal Students Union, an affiliate of the Nepali Congress party, admits that Mr. Bhaswar Bhattarai was noticed by the rival Maoists for having worked in favor of the institutionalization of democratic system in the country and concurrently acting against the extreme left activities.

The NSU letter admits that "as a result (presumably of the Maoists continued threats to him) he was threatened and he has had to leave Nepal for good in order to save his life.

Unconfirmed reports have it that Mr. Bhaswar Bhattarai out of fear and possible threat to his life is currently in the United States of America .

Analysts at this newspaper appeal the Maoists to come to terms with the changing politics of the country and treat the activists of the other political parties as their own brothers which would not only enhance their democratic credentials but would also send a positive message to the democratic countries of the world.

(All the available documents supporting the news are well reserved with this paper-ed.)

Kathmandu : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected 4 percent GDP growth for Nepal in the current fiscal year.

In its recently released South Asia Economic Report, the bank has said, "The outlook has significant downside risks. The most critical risks relate to the progress in the peace talks."

The banks says recent political developments and the improved security situation could yield a significant 'peace dividend' for the economy over the next few years.

However, the bank has expressed "concerns of adverse affect on economy if peace talks disrupts". "Failure to sustain the ceasefire and make headway in the peace process will seriously undermine macroeconomic performance and poverty reduction," the report said.

The report further said, "In FY2007, inflation is forecast to moderate to 6.5 percent as the effects of upward adjustment in VAT and petroleum prices subside and food production returns to normal levels."

The ADB forecasts budget deficit for the current fiscal year at 3 percent of the GDP, which stood at 1.8 percent in the last fiscal year. "The FY2007 budget announced by the government is expansionary to support reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the Maoist insurgents into Nepal 's mainstream politics and development process," the bank said.

"Despite a slowdown in exports and continued recovery in imports, the current account surplus widened in FY2006 due to a sharp increase in remittances. However, the surplus is projected to decline in FY2007, as the investment climate improves and imports grow strongly," the report adds.

"In addition to increasing public and private spending on infrastructure, there is a need for better targeting of investments and in particular, for improvements in sector policies, governance, and institutional environment," a statement of the bank on Thursday quoted Juan Miranda, Director General of ADB's Central and West Asia Regional Department as saying.

The ADB report says that intra-regional trade and investment offers immense opportunities for accelerating growth and reducing poverty in South Asia . The report further says that improved governance, better quality of regulation and infrastructure can help South Asian economies emerge as the "New Tigers" of Asia .

MISCELLANEOUS:
Maoists Perspective on Revolution in Nepal : The Current Situation and Perspectives for the People's Struggle

(Central Committee member and member of Maoist- Government negotiations team Com. Dinanath Sharma and Com. Suresh Alemagar attend the meeting in Germany )  

This past April the people's struggle in Nepal made headlines around the world as hundreds of thousands poured into the streets of Nepal 's cities and towns to demand and end to the monarchy, the feudal social relations it serves. In doing so the people defied government curfews; shoot-on-sight orders; and police clubs and bullets intended to quell this huge upsurge with naked force. This attempt failed and in an effort to save his sinking regime Nepal 's king Gyanendra was forced to reinstate the discredited parliament he had previously dismissed as corrupt and ineffective. These developments took many people in the West by surprise. That was because the revolution that has been taking place in Nepal for the past 10 years has been essentially blacked out by the mainstream media or declared to be "terrorist". The truth is that in Feb. 1996 the CPN (M) launched what it calls a Maoist People's War and New Democratic Revolution with the aim of emancipating the country and its people from centuries of the most brutal caste, class and gender oppression and the domination over the country by big foreign powers and institutions. They declared their basic strategy to be one of mobilizing the rural population to establish revolutionary base areas in the countryside, surround the cities and from that basis then liberate the entire country. And they stated that the struggle they are leading is part of and serves a revolutionary process aimed at eliminating imperialism all around the world.

Starting with just a handful of combatants they have built up a powerful People's Liberation Army with 7 divisions and supported by local militia also numbering tens of thousands of people. It is a sign of the unprecedented character of this revolution that over 30% of the liberation fighters are women. In the past 10 years these base areas have come to encompass over 80% of Nepal 's territory and population. They are administered by People's Committees elected in the villages and led by the party. This form of genuine people's power has already brought about dramatic changes in people's lives; knocking down discrimination based on caste, sex and nationality and removing the burden of the oppression and exploitation that Nepal 's peasants have suffered at the hands of Nepal 's feudal overlords.

This is the background and basis for the upsurge in April this year. When the CPN (M) declared a ceasefire in Kathmandu valley and threw its political support to the mass movement, the way was open for the mass outpouring the world witnessed. The parties of the reinstated parliament and newly appointed government signed an agreement with the CPN (M) calling for the establishment of an interim government and constitution and elections to a constitutional assembly. Along with that a ceasefire has been negotiated between the two sides. It can truly be said that the people's struggle in Nepal has entered a new and extremely complex phase. The potential for major advances and even victory are great. At the same time, the danger of intrigues and plots aimed at derailing or misleading the struggle, as well as the possibility of open foreign intervention are increasing as well. Already hundreds of US Army personnel and truckloads of arms are flooding into the country in an effort to prepare the Royal Army (now officially called the Neapli Army) to launch a possible counter-attack as happened in Chile and other places. The government has refused to implement the agreements it has signed and is calling for the CPN (M) to disarm first: i.e. surrender.

The success or failure of the revolution in Nepal is not only of great significance to the people of that country and even all of South Asia , it is of tremendous importance for the people of the entire world. The world's current rulers constantly declare that the only choice people have is either to side with them and their imperialist system or with some kind of religious fundamentalism of other backward ideology. The struggle in Nepal demonstrates that this is NOT the case. There is a future that can be won in which people can experience genuine equality and liberation from all the forms of superstition, oppression and exploitation that dominate the world today: true emancipation. We urge everyone who supports or is interested in this struggle and in learning more about the revolution in Nepal to take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear first hand about the current situation and the perspectives for advance from one of the leaders of that struggle.

ENBREF:

MDG: Nepal needs 8b$

Kathmandu: A Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) assessment report has indicated that the Nepal government needs double the current level of foreign assistance in the next decade to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The assessment report was jointly prepared by the National Planning Commission and United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The report says that the total public investment requirement for Nepal in order to achieve MDGs for the period 2005-2015 is US$12.6 billion.

Out of this, US$4.8 billion is to be met by domestic resources of the government and for the remaining US$7.9 billion, Nepal will have to rely on external assistance, stated the report.

Paddy production to fall by 25 percent

Kathmandu: Nepal is to face the severest food grain deficit during the current fiscal year starting on mid-July, news reports claimed last week. The paddy production is projected to fall by 25 percent to 3.1 million tons, far less than last year's production of 4.2 million tons, the report claims.

In some places, the paddy planting was affected by drought, while in others floods hit the cultivation, the ministry of agriculture indicated.

Drought left around 10 percent of paddy fields barren every year Nepal faces chronic food deficits in the mountainous areas, especially in remote far-western districts, according to the ministry.

UN, Australia sign agreement: Promote Micro-Enterprises

Kathmandu: Targeting as many as 6,000 people to begin with falling under the poverty line, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Australia have signed an agreement last week.

Under this agreement Australia will contribute 56,000 U.S. dollars towards the micro-enterprise development program, which seeks to help the very poor improve their incomes by starting and managing their own businesses.

The program, a joint initiative between the government of Nepal and UNDP, has helped 84,000 people in 20 districts improve their incomes through enterprises since 1998, a statement issued by the UNDP said.

Private sectors to enter petroleum market

Kathmandu: The Nepal government recently passed a bill that will allow private sectors to enter the petroleum business by ending the Nepal Oil Corporation's ( NOC) monopoly over petroleum dealings in Nepal.

According to news reports the cabinet meeting on Friday made the decision to present a draft of the "Petroleum Products Dealings Act-2063 (2006)" before the House of Representatives (HoR) for approval.

Ongoing peace talks delays economic reforms: Mahat

Kathmandu: The Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat has said that the government is preparing to bring in new economic development programs suited to democratic set-up soon. Mahat also said that the ongoing peace talks have delayed in launching new economic programs.