Working for schools, Working for technology

Seventy-year-old Shigeko Mieno, presently a social worker and member of the House of Councillors in Japan and French national Jean-Louis Armand, President of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), were in town last week to receive the Suprabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu from His Majesty the King. Mieno is a renowned social volunteer who has contributed to a number of schools across rural Nepal. Similarly, AIT’s contribution to human resource development not only in Nepal but also in the region is highly commendable. Last year, AIT confered King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev with the AIT Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology. Satish Jung Shahi of The Kathmandu Post spoke to both of them on their experiences in Nepal.

TKP: How did you get so attached to Nepal as a Japanese citizen?

SM: When I first came to Nepal with three of my other parliamentarian colleagues and visited the Nilbarahi School in Thimi, I saw women gathered in a small dark room to study. The scene was so unimaginable but the Nepalese who worked hard despite improper environment influenced me. It is difficult for women to study even in Japan; but things are tougher here.

Later, four of us decided to collect donations to build two classrooms for the school at the request of a female teacher in the school. We respected her voice — it was a woman’s voice. We raised a total donation of 900 thousand yen from our respective districts. From then on, the extension of funding and assistance kept on increasing.

The Japanese Embassy later introduced us to Love Green Nepal (an NGO) to check if the funding were properly utilized or not. Since then, our efforts to assist women and children have been very successful.

TKP: What efforts do you think the government should initiate for education and empowerment of women?

SM: Nepal and Japan both are ahead to each other in many things...we need to share our experiences. You’ve had a women minister even before we’ve had one in Japan. You even have a woman Deputy Speaker.

I think the results would be fruitful if the media highlighted women’s issues in Nepal.

TKP: Are you aware of the present political deadlock in Nepal’s Parliament?

SM: Yes, I keep hearing about the political situation in Nepal. Everyone must be trying at his or her own level to resolve the problem. But there should be more efforts at the peoples’ level. The situation is also the same in Japan.

TKP: Do you have any future projects in Nepal?

SM: School principles are now stressing on improving the school management and providing quality education. We shall invite our Japanese teacher friends who have retired in Japan. It’ll be a two way experience: they teach, as well as they learn.

I also plan to help women and children in Nepal in the field of education and environment.

TKP: How come AIT is so attached to development projects in Nepal through its graduates?

JLA: Dating back to history, AIT started as a graduate school of engineering when there was no such a school in the region. Laxman Ghimire, former minister (for Water Resources) is the first Nepali graduate from AIT. More recently, since the past 27 years, the admission of Nepali students has been very impressive. Actually, AIT stands for the type of education needed for Asia in the region. I think that is the main incentive of AIT.

TKP: I believe, in a survey done by AIT, the country’s Engineering Campus in Pulchowk was ranked as the third best. Do you have any suggestions to uplift Nepal’s field of technology?

JLA: I think with the present efforts, we should encourage young students, even at high school, in taking their interest towards science and technology.

We should ensure much more effort to science and technology and make it the key to economic development...There’s so much to learn from countries like Singapore who started from very low.

TKP: Is AIT planning to extend any kind of assistance to Nepal in the technology sector?

JLA: We already have been...with more than 600 graduates and now more than 80 studying there. Nepal is already a partner of AIT.

Nepal certainly isn’t as prepared as Taiwan and Korea in the education market. Nepal has neither resources nor training to compete with those students. AIT feels this is unfair: the material is the same but chances are unequal. AIT is always ready for its purpose to provide opportunity to help the ones, like in Nepal, who cannot study abroad.

TKP: Does AIT have any future plans in Nepal?

JLA: During one of my visits to RONAST, I suggested the vice-chancellor (of RONAST) to sign a MoU and assist the AIT in finding what field should be studied and followed in the region.

We are also exploring the possibility of distant education in Nepal. We have agreements with South East Asia and the European Union to conduct distant learning in countries that have no infrastructure. Now, we are planning such a project in Cambodia and it is possible in South Asia too. In distant learning, courses are conducted through mail, e-mail...Students are brought together in a learning center and teachers would appear on-screen. This is something that we would be interested in pursuing such ideas in Nepal, especially in rural areas.

Commission plans to start land distribution

Post Report

GAIGHAT, April 2 - The Commission for Resolving the Problems of Landless Squatters, Udayapur has drawn up a plan to start distributing land to the landless squatters residing at Bomse Naya Basti of Trijuga municipality ward No. 1 in a planned manner by the middle of May and develop the locality into a model village.

The commission has decided to distribute land ownership certificate to about 500 homeless people. The commission has said it has also allocated space for school, entertainment site, mini bus park, vegetable market and to conduct projects associated with drinking water, electricity and other basic human needs in the area of Naya Basti which consists of 34 bighas of fallow land.

Arrangement has also been made to provide land to those organisations and association which are actively involved in the development of the locality.

Chairman of the commission Birendra Kumar Basnet said the target of the commission is to start distribution of land ownership certificate after the survey and demarcation of land is complete and approved by the central commission.

The landless people who have been waging a struggle for the land against some local landowners for a long time are optimistic about the function of the commission.

Ganga Bhujel of Naya Basti has appreciated the fast pace of the commission’s work and hopes the commission would bring happiness to the people of the locality.

Some landowners and the landless people had clashed there in 2052 BS and dozens of people had been wounded after they were hit by bullets. The present commission arbitrated and settled the case and is in the process of distributing land to the landless people. According to local intellectuals, by resolving the dispute, the Basnet commission has resolved a major problem of the district.

Youths tempted to work in India

Post Report

JANAKPUR, April 2 - The number of pilgrims coming to the historic city of Janakpur on the eve of Ram Nawami festival, dedicated to Lord Ram is on the rise. However, the attraction for them seem to be something else than the temple of Janaki.

Every year, around 50 thousand of youths from this east Terai district visit the Panjab and Hariyana to take part in the Baishakhi festival.Nevertheless, their intention has been to work there for three months or so.

Mayaram Kapad, who could not travel by train because of the excessive crowd, said, "I have to miss this opportunity of participating in the great local festival of Ram Nawami. But I need money to run my house."

After the festival of Baishakhi, a bumper planting season begins in the North-West Indian states whereas the farms of Terai remain uncultivated. This allures Terai youths to work there in the mean time.

A pilgrim, Bijuliya Rawat, about to leave the city, said that each worker earns three to nine thousand rupees in three months. He said, "Instead of staying idle in the village, I prefer going there and make some money."

Even those well-to-do people join the flock because they hesitate to work in village fields but nobody recognise them in the distant states.

Janakpur railway alone transports around 2,000 persons every day to different district of North Indians states.

A youth however, asking for anonymity, said that though Nepalis work hard in this working season there, when they come back, Nepali as well as Indian policemen and customs officials harass them and even snatch radio, watches and clothes. "This day-light robbery is the iron-gate for us."

Locals observe Chhath in Janakpur

Post Report

JANAKPUR, April 2 - Chhath festival that is normally observed during the first week of October in central and eastern Terai region is also being celebrated in the summer season for the last couple of years.

Started to celebrate by a couple of devotees during the summer season, the number of the Chhath observers has grown every year. More than 100 families have gathered at the banks of Ganga Sagar in Janakpur this season to worship the rising and setting sun.

The Chhath, considered to be the holiest religious festival in this southern plain, concluded today offering ark (combination of flowers, water and vermilion) to the rising sun.

The devotees took dips into holy rivers and ponds and observed fasting for four days.

A school of thought is of the view that the festival was initiated by Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, during the period of the famous Mahabharat battle fought between the Pandavas and Kauravas.

According to another legend, the festival is mainly observed for prosperity, well-being of the family members and for the protection from leprosy, which is believed to be the cause of great sins committed in the previous birth.

Outstanding personalities honoured

By Somesh Verma

KATHMANDU, April 2 - The evening could not have been more tempting. The best compositions of yesteryears played live on stage. The likes of evergreen Phatteman Rajbhandari and Madhu Chhetri humming their best songs and the legends being honoured for their deeds of a lifetime.

It had to be a special evening. It was the evening where Melody King Nati Kaji Shrestha, along with Nepal’s first female music director-cum singer Koili Devi Mathema, world renowned mountaineer Babu Chhiri Sherpa and Nepal’s most successful long distance runner Baikuntha Manandhar, was honoured with Tuborg Outstanding Award 2057 BS (2001).

The award, constituting a trophy and Rs 100,000 is presented to individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the various walks of life. The coveted award, was being presented only for the second time. In the first essay, it was presented to Amber Gurung, Tara Devi and Ang Rita Sherpa in 2055 BS (1998).

Nati Kaji, a living legend in the field of Nepali music, started his music career playing harmonium since he was eight. Music director of thousands of memorable songs, he has written as well as lend his voice to hundreds of hummable tunes. The music maestro, who faces noticeable difficulty while walking, was welcomed onto the stage by the audience by a roar of applause. It was only befitting that he receive the trophy at the hands of another legend Lain Singh Bangdel.

Koili Devi Mathema, the first ever female Nepali musician received the award for her lifelong contribution in the same field. She, despite having been operated upon recently for the installation of a pace maker for her heart, graced the function amidst claps. She had her guru Nara Raj Dhakal presenting her with the memento.

The marathon man of Nepal, Baikuntha Manandhar, however, looked fittest of them all, leaving all the escorts behind as if he was competing in another of his races. He even honoured his mentor Madhu Shumsher Rana on stage for the support he has received through thick and thin. Ganga Bahadur Thapa, the first ever athlete to represent Nepal in the Olympics, presented him the Tuborg Outstanding Award.

Another of the awardees, world famous mountaineer Babu Chhiri Sherpa, an entrant into the Guiness Book of World Records on two occasions and perhaps one of the few who has been able to hold Nepal’s flag high, was given the trophy by Thupten Lama.

Though meant chiefly for the awardees, the show would not have been as entertaining and complete without the performance of Phatteman Rajbhandari. Phatteman, in his evergreen style and clear voice kept the audience in the auditorium as well as Nepal Television spellbound. Singing with microphone in his right hand and left in his pocket, a style he has made his own, he filled the hall with the emotions only he can.

Madhu Chhetri, Mira Rana, Sangeeta Shakya, Gyanu Rana, Aim Baral and Sapana Shree also sang the numbers which the two music legends have given us in so many of the past years.