Help Nepalese depositors

News has it that spurious Indian finance companies have been deceiving hundreds of Nepali depositors by first attracting them with what appears to be good interest rates and better transactional facilities and later duping innocent Nepali depositors of their money. This, the government cannot take lightly. Unless steps are taken to track down these fraudulent Indian finance companies, they will continue to find ways to dupe innocent Nepalese as well as Indians living in the border areas.

Two years ago, fraudulent Indian finance companies operating along the Indian side of border near Birgunj had duped hundreds of Nepali depositors. Apparently some local hoodlums with links to fake Indian finance companies, spread rumours about good interest rates among Nepali depositors. Innocent farmers and civil servants were the victims of these so called Indian finance companies. A year later, another set of Indian finance companies disappeared after cheating the depositors of Nepalgunj in a similar fashion. Now, it seems to be the turn of the residents of Bhairahwa. Many of them have apparently lost millions of rupees which they deposited with the expectation of 36 percent interest rate.

Nepalese living near the border are dependent on the Indian market, visit Indian hospitals and even join Indian institutions for higher studies. This trend has been there for generations and, there is no doubt that the open border system has further facilitated these activities. Hence, it is quite easy to understand why Nepalis do not hesitate to deposit money when Indian finance companies allure them with better interest rates. However, one thing that must be questioned is how come these finance companies are operating without registration with the Reserve Bank of India. Why is it that the state governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh do not take action against such illegal finance companies? For, such operations are not only illegal but also criminal and it is not only Nepalis who are being duped but also Indians. The existence and disappearance of these companies clearly indicate that the state governments of UP and Bihar have failed to deal with this problem firmly.

The operation of bogus financial institutions in India, illegal trade and many other anti-social activities have increased in recent years due to the open border in the South. The government has to raise these matters with the Indian government. The need to strictly monitor the border and prevent such illegal activities in border areas cannot be overemphasized here. Apart from this, people living in the border areas have to be made aware of the fact that these spurious Indian financial institutions are run by local criminals and therefore they cannot be trusted. But above all, the two governments must coordinate to ensure that the open border, which is advantageous for both Nepalis as well as Indians, is not misused as these fake Indian Finance companies and many others have been doing.

Same old songs

I wish our pop-bands and singers realized the need for innovative songs. Nice and enchanting description of a woman or girl, heart touching words on affairs and heart melting tragic songs about love between two people are so much in store that any new song these days tend to sound old.

When our heart is won, we are won and that is what rules our mind. This, I believe, is the theory behind all songs. But is it ‘love’ alone that is to rule the hearts of audience?

A bit more efforts from our musicians, singers and lyricists could make a real difference. I can remember Rock Yogi’s Logne maanchhe Bhayera... and a few more to exemplify this fact and I appreciate their effort. Therefore, to expect similar quality--if not more--from other bands, would not be too much, I suppose.

Not that I am unaware of a number of highly motivating patriotic songs and also the many good songs on life and deaths, but I feel love songs have been excessively poured onto us--and often, to the extent of monotony. It is better to mold the songs gradually into diverse topics than to look for abrupt change later.

The other thing that I can’t understand is the mingling of heavy, distorting music with sad and crying lyrics. Maybe I am too incompetent to understand the potpourri of music and lyrics or the singers are not good enough to choose the right music for the lyrics of their songs, but I strongly feel it is eccentric for sad lyrics to go with brain storming heavy music.

All the pop bands, very much inspired from the west as shown by the western pastiche in their music, just can’t acknowledge divergence in their lyrics and music. Pink Floyd’s "Time", "Sheep" and "Wish you were here" clearly picture variety in their songs and so do Ozzy’s "Zombie stomp", "Paranoid" and "I just want you". I am not saying that everything’s good about west and ours is bad. I am pointing out good in them and bad in us to make ourselves better. Is the idea wrong?

-Abhishek Parajuli
Kathmandu

Nepal’s hydropower and demand in India

By Hari Prasad Pokharel

Indian government has announced their power plan for the next decade (Times of India 12 June 2000). Nepalese people in government, opposition parties, business, the private sector as well as academic circle must start their hard homework to assess the impact of these announcements. As all would agree, our future development depends on the development of our hydropower. And the announcements of the Indian government can have a significant bearing for it.

These announcements have both positive and negative aspects for Nepal. First positive point is that they have accepted the power demand of more than 100,000 MW. Previously they hesitated to show such deficit even after several private studies had clarified such demand. Power market studies for our Karnali project in 1989 has the details what was available. Such declaration helps Nepal to put forward our project easily in their demand chart in different options. Nepal may not necessarily increase the capacity from base point to meet their chart. (Karnali project has high installation capacity to meet their demand making installation price high. Eighteen turbines are to operate only four-five hours in a day. Operating ten or twelve units for a longer period can generate same energy with lower installation cost).

The negative point is that they have their own scheme of generating additional 100,000 MW of electricity. Although Nepal and India both signed agreement to develop joint power projects, they have not mentioned these projects. Unless the deal is not in their favour, as they wished, they might not come forward to become partner with Nepal even as the market demand is crucial. By projecting their own scheme they are indicating to Nepal their own deal in the bargain.

Costs of our projects are much higher than their expectation as discussed in our several meetings with them. One reason for such high cost is foreign technology to be imported in Nepal. Imported manpower, material, equipment and technology all are to be paid in dollar that increase the cost. India always claimed low production cost by using local material, local people and harnessing available technology procured in local currency. Technically, India is not behind any other nation; the quality management can be improved by practice. The quality system initially developed by Japanese companies and recently adopted by European Union can also be implemented to achieve similar standard as that of American.

Now by investing such huge money in local power sector they will develop technology and demonstrate ability to install huge power at low cost. They will demonstrate how the price can be reduced. Unless they are convinced with their own experience on the real cost of production they will not agree with the rates demanded by Nepal. One positive attitude of Nepalese side is to look for opportunity to get our people involved in some way to gain that experience. For example the Tehri High dam project is almost similar to our Karnali High Dam Project. India is working on it since 1965 and could not get success. The problem of environment, relocation of people, high seismic risk, security and huge investment are major issues. If they are not confident in their capacity how can they be confident on us? What credentials are there with the Nepalese bureaucrats?

India has learned the reasons of frustration in Kashmir. They are poverty, backwardness and unemployment to the local young people. Like Nepal, Kashmir also has potential of hydropower development that needs to be developed. By developing hydropower, prosperity can be achieved that leads toward peace. Same principle can be applied to our frustrated people in the west. Without having peace in our border and inside Nepal they also cannot have peace inside India. Let us solve these issues together. With such an approach our common projects can get better attention. Our big projects like Seti, Mahakali and even Karnali are not big enough to cater to their huge deficit demand. We also do not need to develop all projects at a time.

Another points to note in that announcement is the capital requirement and the source projected. Annual investment estimate is about US$ 16 billion, not a small amount. It has not been said the investment money will come from outside. They could have said they would be looking for private investors, domestic or foreign, but did not say so.

It is the time to work hard and cohesively by all parties in Nepal. This is a time to make India a good friend as well as a good neighbour. It is also a time to have patience enough to understand the need of a good friend. Time has passed already on dispute raised by our ignorance and illusion. We must come together and work together to harness our potential.

What’s happening in town ?

By Ritesh Shrestha

Suddenly a lot is happening in the town. An FM radio jockey rings me up. "What’s the most happening thing you can think of?" asks the DJ. It is 6:30am. I look yearningly at the pillow, wondering it might just fit in as the answer. Sleep? I suggest hopefully. But apparently sleep is not the most happening thing I should be thinking about.

Pondering the relativity of happenings--sleep versus FM radio-- I somnambulate to the loo, taking a detour via the dictionary. Happening: (noun) event, a performance consisting of rete events, in which elements from everyday life are put together in non-realistic way, usually demanding audience participation. So far, so good.

But happening as an adjective? As in: what’s the most happening thing you can think of? What happening to happening? Everything and everybody, it seemed.

Mr Kishunji was the most happening name if I talk about the past. Though the then ‘happening’ makers aggressively struggled for the displacement reaction ‘happening’ at the PM chair, we know how our then PM acted -- shall I call it a stubborn flavoured cool ‘happening’? Anyway, it is a stale happening now but the stain left is still fresh that sometimes evokes in his elocution.

I believe the proposed budget for the FY 2057/58 is the most ‘happening’ thing in the town now, of which salary hike is the most striking. It’s a pleasant ‘happening’ for all the government officials, but is it equally creditable ‘happening’? Per capita income has certainly geared up but can we be equally sure that the present value of money will remain same (forget about its increment) because of the chain effect ‘happening’? And what about the on-going confusion regarding the withdrawal of temporary governmental staff from their job? This is quite a prejudiced ‘happening’.

But the most surprising ‘happening’ is that the traditional system of severely criticising the projected budget by the opposition panel has been logged off this year. They have only opposed for the sake of fulfilling their moral duty. It’s a queer thing that I should think about, but what difference does it make by my thought? We have such great leaders who make such an ambitious budget.

But, here I cannot be that cynical because it can be turned into reality if the politicians are not only politicians. And we know the answer very well.

On the whole, however, the budget proposal can be taken as a virtually pleasing ‘happening’.

Let’s talk about a contradictory happening. Though the second richest in water resources, I have to wait couple of days just to bathe and couple of years (hopefully) to shower the Kathmanduites from the Melamchi rain. It was Nepal who stood first to generate hydroelectricity (though only 500 kw) in the whole Asia at Pharping a century back. But look at the present era of frequent loadshedding ‘happening’.

While the country stands amidst all sorts of chaotic happenings like zooming inflation, terrorism, poverty, illiteracy and under the table happening, just to list a few, our country leaders are busy in their own chaoism. That’s why it took a long time for Bhattaraism and IA 814 hangoverism to meet a full stop.

I hope Deuba’s quest to solve Maoism will be fruitful. Finally, guys and girls, shall we also forget about patriotism?

I wish my DJ friend who introduced me to the most ‘happening’ word that day rang me up again. Except, this time I would ask him to rephrase his question slightly, "what is the most ‘happening’ thing that must happen?" What would you say?