Produce quality carpet

Improving the quality of Nepali woollen carpets has become a must in order to tap the international market potential as well as to make these products more competent. This is indeed a matter of great concern since the carpet industry is a major foreign exchange earner. Also worrying is the fact that the demand for Nepali woollen carpets has
not increased even after the diversification of export. It is also unfortunately true that the government has taken no initiative to market Nepali woollen carpets abroad. Apart from this, the formation of different organizations in the interest of individuals has also hindered the production of high quality woollen carpets to a great extent.

Nepali woollen carpet manufacturers pay export levy of more than six rupees per square metre but they have managed to export less than one million square meters of woollen carpets to European countries. Germany imports 75 percent of Nepal’s total volume of woollen carpets. This means that Nepal is very dependent on only one buyer. It is sad but true that Nepali carpet manufacturers have neither been able to   diversify their market to the desired extent due to cut-throat competition, nor have they  improved the quality of Nepali carpets to make them more competitive. In this regard, it must be noted that even three decades after the country started exporting woollen carpets, there is not a single institution where carpet weavers are trained or where their skill is developed. If this stands as a sad commentary on the development and promotion of the carpet industry in Nepal, what is even more saddening is that most skilled workers of this industry have left for India which has made tremendous progress in exporting carpets. Besides, low quality cheap Indian carpets have also hit the export of Nepali carpets very hard. This is because, on the one hand, Nepali carpet industry appears to be still in a rudimentary stage, while on the other, it has had to compete with high quality Indian and Chinese carpets in the international market.

The withdrawal of economic councillors from some Nepalese diplomatic missions abroad has also made an already bad situation worse. This move has weakened the promotion of not only carpets but also other Nepalese products abroad. Besides, the changing global market has also put the demand for Nepali woollen carpets at an all time low. This, the government should have at least recognised. It now needs to make concerted efforts to promote the export of Nepali woollen carpets. The government has to work out new strategies to support the carpet industry. The challenges facing the industry must be tackled with much seriousness. The government must therefore introduce new regulations and establish institutions for producing high quality woollen carpets that can compete in the international market. And for their part, carpet manufacturers must also take the initiative to ensure quality development. They cannot be so laid back in the face of prevailing threats.

Don’t blame Nepal

The plane hijacking drama is far from being over. It is speculated that it was due to serious security breach at the Kathmandu airport. Apart from this hijacking case, we have witnessed various incidents that points out to the fact that there’s something fishy at the airport. There’s doubt that Nepal is a paradise on earth. I’ve been living here for 15 years with my family. I’m an American citizen but my heart is Nepali.

These kind of incidents do and can take place anywhere around the world whether it’s in America or Nepal. What I don't understand is why the Indian media is attacking Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. You cannot conclude that the whole government is behind the hijacking just by the fact one of their national is alleged to be one of the hijackers, and that too with no concrete evidence.

Besides all this, I don’t understand the attitude of Nepalese government. They should speak out against the false allegation forged into them as it is giving a negative publicity.

The other sad fact was the coverage of Nepal television which was the worst I’ve ever witnessed. Everybody had to depend on the foreign media who were pointing finger on Nepal.

It is still not clear whether security lapses at the airport was actually responsible for the incident. The claim of some so-called experts that in Thamel of Kathmandu Pakistani terrorists roam around freely and that too with weapons is only ridiculous in my view.  I go to Thamel a lot and I've never seen people with arms. At one instance I heard one Indian lady from Kathmandu who telephoned the Zee studio stating the fact that Nepal cannot be blamed for the hijacking and they should not give false details about Nepal without proof. The result was they hung up the phone in the middle of the conversation. This clearly states the fact that the channel is there only for commercial purpose and not for the public purpose.

James Jessie,
Kathmandu

Pangs of parochial politics

-By D L Bhandari

The recent turn of events surrounding the near-toppling of the K P Bhattarai-led government has once again proved beyond reasonable doubts that the country’s politics is remarkably unstable. Attribute this to conspiratorial and corrupt rings the politics has acquired over the years even as, sorry, even otherwise promiscuous and not so sincere litter of politicians in the field have tended to end up as mere pawns in the realm where mafia bosses hold the sway.

Such being the scenario, inter alia, we saw a prime minister defending his ministers even in the wake of public hue and cry over their weakness for women and money or, in most cases, both. Deeper down, however, the recent crisis was a part of the timeless struggle between the top party leaders Prime Minister Bhattarai and Nepali Congress (NC) President, G P Koirala. The duumvirs are timelessly vying for the spoils of power. 

The recent drama was predictable enough. Although the prime minister’s refusal to drop corrupt and promiscuous faces from cabinet dramaticallly snowballed into a crisis of sorts threatening the survival of the government, yet the most surprising element is that the government came out unscathed at the end the day. This is possible only in wonderland or, as we have seen, in the realm of our own mafia bosses.

As a critic said, while Prime Minister Bhattarai is reportedly stubborn to stay put until something swashbuckling happens (entry of Enron for example, if that ever happens), Koirala is in tearing hurry to see the former’s back before anything like that indeed happens. I need to tell you that the entry of Enron is going to be a megaevent from the viewpoint of commission money likely to issue out of it and which is likely to end up in the deep pockets of the lucky.   

The cock fight, however, is not restricted between two old men alone. It percolates down to the second generation of NC leaders also. Understandably enough, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ram Chandra Poudel and even Shailaja Acharya (privately) are all knitting the web and are equally in tearing hurry to possibly make it to the highest chair before the megaevent. The belief is signing on Enron may help garner finance to remain buoyed up in the realm of the country’s politics ever after.

All this should be looked in light of what Surya Bahadur Thapa had once so famously said: Money and mafia shape events and play a major role in the annals of the Nepalese politics. This indeed has enlightened many a scribe aspiring to write on the rot in high places since quite sometime.  

Rightfully enough, he is also further on the record as having said that money-generating ministries go to the one who has excellent relations with mafia-bosses under “oath” that he will pay back for sure. And yes earnestly listen to them when obliged to take decision on momentous issues or deals. You already know intensity of the struggle when cabinet in constituted.

As another critic said, the recent hike in electricity tariff has left the camp opposed to Bhattarai impatient to grab power. As he said it,the rise in tariff was something which the Asian Development Bank had asked for if the government expected further financing of development efforts (this ensured enough budget to be misappropriated).

To cut it short, while the set of men in power have proved pliant enough  to effect tariff hike and thus be entitled to further cash coming their way, the men out of it know that since the tariff has been hiked, there is every likelihood of cash coming their own way if only they can end up grabbing power. Hence the periodic chaos surrounding government.

This kind of goings-on may be said to be in perfect harmony with the socio-politico-economic system we have in place since very many years. This, however, is being further perfected to the level of art since the 1990.(This of course is the latest incident narrated in the interest of readers who may not have yet picked up the right thread in their quest to crack the mystery behind periodic bid to grab power on the part of our so-called leaders.)

Wistfully enough , rather than anything else, political parties have degenerated as personal vehicles abandoned the moment they catch a faster train to the realm of the mafiosi, and remain their. If I need to tell at all, an incumbent is retained or removed as decided by the subterranean authorities.

This is to argue that our politicians have succumbed to wily men of the underworld out of urgency to remain aloft in the political stratosphere even as they know it for sure that the love for lucre is drifting them involuntarily more and more towards the blackhole of the country’s politics. They also know that they have gradually failed to inspire any confidence in the minds of the members of the intelligentsia although the common voters, of course, can be said to have stood by them expecting miracles.

However, even as the endless farce in the political arena goes on to the disillusionment of the onlookers, one thing which has become as clear as broad daylight is we lack a leader who can  command the respect from one and all. This is something which is encouraging even the upstart members of parliament to rise in revolt against the one in big chair which is often times explained by the media as a case of internal dissension in the parties.

To conclude, considering the element of venality and promiscuity in our leaders, I for one stand assured of high-pitch dramas and  steamy scandals hitting the public attention in the foreseeable and distant future. I for one am not feeling tortured by the fact that nothing good has unfolded in the past; the growing concern is that nothing good is going to happen even in the distant future until and unless of course the entire system is overhauled once and for all.

Y2K, no problem

-By Bhupesh Sherchan

The Y2K fear has swept the minds of people in Nepal, computer literate, and illiterates alike. The literate are worried because they know the consequences, the illiterates are worried because they don’t know the consequences. As for me I don’t understand why this big fuss. There’s no need to worry about Y2K problem in Nepal. Simply because we can revert back to our own system, the good old manual system of Nepal.

There are simple ways to keep the country totally safe from Y2K bug. The method is very easy, safe and what’s more, people don’t need computer or be computer experts.

All those concerned about Y2K should visit Charkhal Adda first. They should observe how important files are saved and how they delete the unwanted files. Believe me it’s faster than the computer and no need to search icons to send it in proper place, no need to search for recycle bins. Just roll the file and throw it, it will fly straight into the dustbin. As for the saved files all you have to do is wrap it with a cloth and keep in the basement so that you can retrieve it whenever you want. You don’ have even to worry about it getting virus infected and losing it in the process. Unless of course if you have rats in the basement. In that case you can throw it carelessly in your old steel almirah. Whenever you need it you can just rummage through the piles and presto you’ll find it.

However, if you are a sophisticated person who cannot write with hands or too busy to do so just hire a lekhandas (a person who writes application) from Charkhal. Have you seen how fast they write? In fact you’ll be doing a great favour to the country. By hiring the lekhandas you’ll be providing employment to all those educated unemployed masses.

And you won’t even have to worry about the dates going haywire. No need to fear that you’ll end up with 100 years old backdated files. The lekhandas will firmly imprint the dates with ink.

Even the government doesn’t have any need to fear the Y2K bug. The parliamentarians and ministers who don’t know what Y2K is, can remain blissfully unaware. All they’ll have to do is direct their ministries and offices to forget computers for a while. The Civil Aviation Minister can shut the airport for some time to save the air transport from possible Y2K hazard. Just tell the people to use the less complicated means of transportation like buses and trains for a while and relax.

So whoever has computers can simply pack it and relax until the new millennium. Enjoy the traditional ways for a while and don’t let the Y2K bug bug you.

Plight of children in jails

-By Chandrika Khatiwada

Ramesh (identity changed) came to the jail nine and half years ago. Since then he is living there. The jail has become home for him . Ramesh said that he does not know anything about his family and home outside. He does not know why he and his mother are there. Ramesh goes to the school in jail. He is in grade three. Ramesh said, “I prefer to go to school outside.” He also prefers to have food prepared outside as he does not like eating the same type of food every day. But he enjoys his mother’s cooking. Ramesh remembers the time he had enjoyed when he had been outside the jail on three occasions with a police officer. He loves to go out but he is not sure when that will be. ‘The only thing I like here is my mother who loves me very much’, Ramesh explains. (Source: ‘Situation of Children in Jail’ study conducted by Child Welfare Society, 1998).

Ramesh gets kilograms of rice every fortnight and he gets six rupees seventy paisa a day as ration allowance. He is a dependent child living in Palpa jail. There are seven other children, three girls and four boys under 16 years living with Ramesh. Of the children, some are there because a parent is an inmate.

Children living in jails are most vulnerable among children living at risk. Many of the children in jails all over the world are there because a    parent has been convicted or is on trial. Many studies regarding ‘jailed children’ around the world reveal that most of the under-trial children have become victims of the slow judicial process. This is another agenda for child rights activists, but this article mainly discusses children living in jails as ‘dependent children’ with their parents. These children are neither on trial nor guilty-but live in jails. They are innocent victims.

According to  recent studies, it is estimated that about 80-90 children are living in the jails of Nepal. However, because of high rate of mobility of dependent children in and out of jails, it is difficult to give the exact number.   More important than the figure is the bitter reality that there are children living in jails. Similarly, on the other hand, they are not  “imprisoned” by law, and are not delinquents. Most children in the jails of Nepal just happen to be living in the particular institution because there is no one to take care of them outside once their parent is in. Which, of course, in the relation to children is definitely a sad tragedy.

In Nepal, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 safeguards the rights of all citizens including children. Children’s Act 1992 (2048 BS), clearly says that children should not be kept in prison. Article 11 states that ‘children below ten years of age are not subject to any legal punishment and are pardoned for their acts that conflict with the law’.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC), an international instrument safeguarding the rights of children have provisions in the  ‘best interest of the child’ as one of its key principles. It speaks in article 3, “In all the actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interest of the child shall be a primary consideration”. Nepal was among the first twenty countries to ratify the convention. The situation of ‘children living in jails’ clearly violates the CRC provisions and principles to protect them and many other children who are living in a risk situation.

Jail Act 2019 provides some ground for ‘children living in jail’. Article 8 says, ‘If a child is born inside prison or if an imprisoned woman has a child under two years of age, whether or not there is someone to take care of the child outside, if the mother wants to keep the baby with her she can.’ Sub-section 2 of the article permits. ‘If there is no one to look after the child (children) outside, the child (children) of imprisoned parent can live in the jail’. The first part of the article talks about an extreme situation, which somehow seems logical, as it is vital for a breast-fed baby to live with the mother. But in the case of   Sub-section 2, if the situation compels a child to live in jail, the state should take responsibility of caring for these children. The act says ‘for these children the cost relating to his/her caring, education and living is borne by the government.’ The provision mentions some basic needs of those children who happen to living in jail, but at the same time, the question also arises-what about their overall development. It can be argued that the state needs to care for these children outside the prison. The government should initiate a mechanism to keep these children outside the jails. It generally means taking the resources, whatever the government is spending the children out of the jails. It is because this (of keeping children inside) is not compatible with the provision of the constitution and with CRC.

With continued implementation of CRC and child rights in general, we can not deny the rights of any child, including a child who is living in any institution-including jail. Children, regardless whether they are ‘in or out of jail’ deserve to enjoy their fundamental rights of being children.  It is very basic that children living in jail without any convincing reason should not be there.

It is a bitter reality that though there are hundreds of institutions for protecting children’s rights, many innocent children are living in jails. How long will children live invisible and helpless lives deprived of their childhood? This is a grave concern. ‘Children will lose their creativity if they are kept in jail in this way. They will lose self-respect, self-confidence and develop a negative attitude towards themselves as well as towards the community. They are disturbed mentally and will develop the feeling of hatred for others.’ It has become urgent to think about the trauma children face for being there.

Given the shifting dimensions of children in jail, the state must also be flexible in its policies regarding them. The action and responsibility of the state towards them thus, has to be developed accordingly. Also, appropriate alternatives have to be developed. The state has legal mandate to care for these children. The rights of children must be respected by the state as well as by civil society.

So far, both national and international non-governmental agencies have focused on children in jails as a part of the larger issue of women in jail. However, with the development of child-centred perspectives, it is crucial that the issue is seen in terms of the particular needs of those children. This calls for a consolidated approach and long-term vision. A new perspective is needed regarding children in jails in Nepal.

The CRC, which was ratified by Nepal without reservation, laws relating to children including the constitution, explicitly speaks of the rights of children to be protected from being deprived. But effective implementation of such provision is lacking to a remarkable extent. This is not only due to lack of resources. It is because of the lack of plan of actions, and commitment in each concerned institution. There is also lack of orientation, exposure, and right attitude from each concerned agency, resulting in reality falling far behind. What is lacking most importantly is political commitment and clear policy. There is also need for coordination between GOs, I/NGOs. If everyone concerned worked together for a common goal, there would be greater efficiency in achieving better realization of the rights of these children. It is not only the responsibility of the government to ensure the rights of children; cooperation is needed from everyone concerned as well as civil society. The issue of those children who are in jails is clearly addressable if we initiate efforts urgently.