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Kathmandu,Saturday February 19, 2000 Fagun 07, 2056.
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Cheers For Newcomers
Handling the Falgun 7 Supplement can be a tricky
job. First the theme has to be selected, then the editorial staff rallied behind, and
finally the list of prospective contributors prepared.
This year perhaps the job was a bit more easier. The 7th Anniversary
Supplement got a fitting title: Decade of Democracy. Unlike previous years, the title drew
immediate applause—and unanimous vote—when it was floated before the fortnightly
meeting of the Publications’ heads of the departments.
But that only took care of half our job. The hard part, in fact, began
thereafter. On the one hand, we had to produce a once-a-year keepsake; while on the other,
as in previous years, we were well aware that there were limited hands who could write
with command in English. We were also conscious of the limited space that were available
to us.
When Kavita, a long-time reporting colleague and my deputy for the Annual
Supplement, and I sat down to prepare a list of writers for Editor’s approval, we
came up with 10 names: most of them from outside the Publications.
Some opted out citing time constraints—one of them was senior advocate
Ganesh Raj Sharma, whom we decided to interview instead.
To us, Sharma’s presence was important for more than one reason. Ten
years ago he was part of the Constitution Draft Committee that was entrusted the job of
framing the democratic constitution, and later, as a senior advocate, he has had a
ring-side view of some precedent-setting cases in the Supreme Court. Notably, Tanakpur in
1992 when he successfully pleaded to make the apex court rule it as a Treaty - and not an
accord as then-Prime Minister Girija Prasad had claimed. Sharma says, “We cannot
expect a sudden miracle in the judiciary...If our democracy continues without any
disruption, I expect that judiciary will not be left behind to fulfil its constitutional
obligations.”
Another write-up that has a similar level of optimism is by Bikash Pandey, a
hydropower engineer. The Fulbright scholar was among the key figures to question the
economic rationale of Arun III which was ultimately dumped by the World Bank in 1995.
There’s a lot to be optimistic about Nepal’s hydropower sector, according to
Pandey. “Compared to 10 years ago, even five years ago, this sector has undergone a
radical transformation from a centralized planning-led model, to a substantially
pluralistic one,” writes Pandey, who now works for Winrock International and is busy
promoting private sector participation on commercial production of clean and renewable
energy.
Indeed, the cancellation of Arun III was a watershed in Nepal’s
hydropower development. It opened the floodgates of opportunities for private investments.
Today, private companies, domestic and international, hold survey licenses for 13
additional projects to generate some 600 MW of power to supply to the national grid. To Mr
Pandey, the demise of Arun was important. It led to a liberalized power sector which is
set to provide abundant energy to consumers.
To us in the media, Arun III was more than a power project. It was a test
case for a nascent democracy. The level of Arun debate showed to me the power and
complexity of modern-day journalism and how the media could influence the course of
national events. Arun also made me realize that there are going to be all kinds of people
in a democracy—from big-project lobbyists to staunch anti-dam activists (Gopal
Siwakoti ‘Chintan’ stands out). And they all have to be heard and given a voice.
Much like what Voltaire said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the
death your right to say it”. After Arun, journalism was never the same business to
me. This high ideal will hopefully guide us to a new height in the days to come.
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