Consumer woes

It is the hall mark of the present government that there is always one thing or another lacking for the people. The all important problem of law and order in the country and the continuing problem of Maoist insurgency -- the two main pranks used by Koirala to stage a political coup against his own Prime Minister -- remain unsolved. For the common man, there is no relief from the ever spiralling prices caused by the shortage of one commodity or the other. Sugar is not easily available in the market and kerosene used by most people for cooking purposes does the vanishing trick from the market from time to time. And now cooking gas has not been available to the consumers for almost one and half months. And there are indications that the shortage will continue. The squabbling between the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the sole importer of cooking gas in the country, and the gas dealers, each blaming the other, really gets the consumer nowhere. The dealers say that they do not have necessary stock of cooking gas while the NOC says the shortage is "artificial". Artificial or real, the ultimate sufferers are the consumers and they have not been able to get their supply of cooking gas and are facing a lot of inconveniences. Some manage to secure their supply of LPG at "somewhat" higher prices but most people can neither affords "somewhat higher" prices nor should they do so even if they can.

The government-run Nepal Oil Corporation should not be allowed to get away with such statements as "shortage is artificial". The NOC must ensure through proper monitoring that the LPG supplied to dealers are being properly distributed. The NOC must be ready to punish all those dealers and retailers found to be hoarding LPG. In addition, there have been calls that the NOC must not depend only on Indian Oil’s Barauni depot for the supplies to Nepal. This makes good sense and the NOC should lose no time in securing supplies from as many depots along the Nepal-India border as possible. This should not prove to be difficult and will ensure a smooth flow of the commodity into Nepal. But apart from Indian Oil, it is also time that NOC or private parties begin to explore possibility of importing of cooking gas from Bangladesh. That country separated by a narrow stretch of Indian territory is known to have a huge reserve of natural gas and is already exporting to some countries. As is known to all, dependence on one particular country, no matter how friendly, for anything is not a good policy. And in line, we do hope that the government will seriously consider the import of cooking gas from Bangladesh. The Foreign Minister, who is scheduled to visit Dhaka, we hope, will show us the government cares for the people by taking up the matter with his Bangladesh counterpart. It really does not matter whether the gas is imported by the NOC or by private parties. What is important is that gas must begin to flow in from Bangladesh. The government must address itself to redressing the woes of consumers.

Nepal-India ties : Historical flashback

By Praveen Upadhya

Historically, India is credited to have midwifed the birth of democracy in Nepal in 1951 through "Delhi compromise". But India’s "unsophisticated diplomacy" became a catalyst for the 1960 royal coup that sealed the fate of democracy in Nepal for the following three decades. Trying to impress upon the common destiny, Jawahar Lal Nehru said: " Since the Himalayas have provided us with a magnificent frontier, we cannot allow that barrier to be penetrated because it is also the principal barrier to India. Therefore, much as we appreciate the independence of Nepal, we cannot allow anything to go wrong in Nepal or permit that barrier to be crossed or weakened because that would also be a risk to our security". In order to meet the new challenge posed by the Chinese occupation of Tibet, India endeavoured to enter into treaty relations with Nepal, guaranteeing her sovereignty and territorial integrity. After protracting negotiations, the Nepal-India Treaty of Peace and Friendship was signed on July 31, 1950 in Kathmandu. Under the treaty the two governments agreed mutually "to acknowledge and respect the complete sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of each other." Although such remarks were not new, the Indian leaders embarked on a new course of Nepal-India relations by having a formal treaty signed on July 31, 1950.

Each state is considered sovereign. Sovereignty refers to a state’s government not that of any other state deciding how it will manage its own affairs. This may mean, as in the words of the US Constitution, that the state’s government will ensure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare. "All governments are concerned with maintaining domestic peace and national defence; how capable they are of doing it varies. All governments regardless of how they their citizens, however, reject foreign interference in their domestic affairs."

Development on Nepal-India ties: There was a hue and cry over the remarks made by K R Malkhani, a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India to News Today, a media outlet of the India Today. In this remark, he had categorically stated that India’s founding P M Jhawahar Lal Nehru should have accepted the accession of Nepal to India in the 1950s when it was offered by King Tribhuvan. He further remarked, " I think we made a very serious, very foolish mistake when King Tribhuvan offered to accede to India and Nehru said "No" .What will the world say?" When asked if it would have been better, had Nepal become a part of India like Sikkim in 1976, Malkhani replied in a very positive tone. However, BJP president Bangaru Laxman denied that the remarks on Nepal reported to have been made by Malkhani "in no way reflect the views of the Bharatiya Janata Party and are unfortunate". Nepal expressed distress towards the insensitivity shown by a senior BJP leader towards Nepal’s national sentiments.

India happens to be not only a geographical neighbour of Nepal but also a close friend. There are ancient ethnic, cultural and religious ties between the two countries. Both countries, being non-aligned, and members of Group of 77, share similarities of approach in many outstanding international problems. SAARC has added some more areas for the two countries to work together in achieving the goal of collective self-reliance within the region. The holy scriptures of the Hindu religion like the Vedas, Brahmangranthas and Upanishads are the common heritage of the Nepalese and Indians. Lord Gautam Buddha, the light of Asia, who was born in Lumbini in Nepal, trekked down to the plains in India in search of Enlightenment. It is a proven fact that Balmiki, the composer of renowned epic the Ramayan, saw the light of the world within Nepal at Balmikinagar in Bhisalotoan.

One of the weeklies has quoted, "If there is one single source that has brought India-Nepal relations to an all the time low during the past decades of Nepal’s democracy, it is the prejudiced reportage in Indian satellite television and print media."The public in India is so negatively charged now that the pilgrim traffic at Shivaratri is down, casinos are empty, and this summer the number of India tourists have dipped to an all time low."

Nepal and India have been cooperating in the national development of both countries in a wide range of fields, including the harnessing of water resources, trade and transit arrangements, health, infrastructure, education and training. This partnership has contributed to the welfare of the people in both countries and taken the relations to a higher plane and changes in the governments of both countries have not made any difference to the depth of friendship which both cherish. New areas of cooperation are being added constantly, maintaining the dynamism of friendship and mutual trust.

Recap of Nehru’s speech: Thinking about India’s security, Jhawahar Lal Nehru, therefore, declared in the Indian parliament on December 6, 1950 that India had an intimate relationship with Nepal and that she would not tolerate any foreign intervention in that country. How could Malkani make such an unscrupulous statement? Nehru at that time said: "Nepal was an independent country when India was under British rule, but the foreign relations were largely limited to her relations with the government functioning in India. When we came into picture, we assured Nepal that we would not only respect her independence but see, as far as we could that she developed into a strong and progressive country.

We went further in this respect. Nepal began to develop her foreign relations and did not hinder the process. Frankly, we do not like and shall not brook any foreign intervention in Nepal. We recognize Nepal as an independent country. But even a child knows that one cannot go to Nepal without passing through India. Therefore, no other country can have as intimate relationship with Nepal as ours is. We would like every other country to appreciate the intimate geographical and cultural relationship that exists between India and Nepal."

In sum, if past experience is any guide, it can be said that Nepal-India relations deserve to be reviewed urgently.

Dot com mania

By Shashi Dhungel

The rapidly growing disease of the 21st century, often regarded as the century of information technology, is the Net surfing. It is the most popular way of passing spare time. This craze has a hold on the younger generation, especially. These days, everyone knows about www. com. mania and an array of jargons, concerning this realm of the Networld. If you do not know this, you are bound to be regarded as an uncivilized brat, an illiterate of this new world. Whenever you go through job or other advertisements, you always find web sites and e-mail address, and if you want to know about them in detail, you must open the sites.

One is amazed when a boy studying in grade five in any of the reputed school asks his friend to join in certain chat sites. Not only in chat room, but also for searching new sites where life seems to be much more comfortable than one has ever imagined by linking the whole world in no time. Now, if you have to buy something just turn on your computer get connected to the Internet, open the web page, see the things whether they will meet your demand or not, and if satisfied, you just order them, give them your credit card number, and you will find the things delivered to your home. How comfortable the life has become! No fear of your money being lost while travelling, no fear of getting caught in a traffic jam and so on. Solutions and friends can be discovered, while chatting in one of the prolific chat rooms. Long unsolved problems can be solved here. You just ask a question and a number of answers beam on the screen. Really, the time has changed and the life has become more comfortable.

Can you imagine that the word you typed on your computer travels through the world in a fraction of a second! We must thank the technology, which connects us with widely scattered people. Now you can just log on to the Internet and could see the whole updated world before you.

This not only holds true in developed countries but in developing countries as well. You can see the cyber cafes and Internet access centres crowded. With the IT policy endorsed by the cabinet, we do have reasons for being optimistic. If you ask any boy studying in class10 what he wants to be when he grows up, the common answer will be"a computer engineer". So that’s the influence of the Net over modern society. In other words, people are caught by the disease called The DOTCOMMANIA.

Lend an ear to yesteryears

By Prakash Dahal

The wheel of time may not be rolled back. But, the glimmer of past can be borrowed to brighten the dark. Wise men have done that. Couple of weeks back, Ehud Barak did it. The Israeli prime minister brought along Ben Gurion’s (Israel’s first prime minister) biography and archival documents to Camp David. He did it because he had to cut a crucial deal with Arafat on thorny Jerusalem.

Barak put himself along with those few politicians of our time who believe that past could be the best teacher of the present. Barak took along those archival documents because he wanted to enter into some darker alleys of the past that his knowledge and intellect had never trod before.

Looking back forty two years from now, one can find a leader fighting against all odds to steer the tumultuous democracy across the turbulent waters in our own country. The time and clime didn’t stand behind him nor did his comrades in arms. And, he failed. Ironically, his failure produced a bearer’s cheque that Congress leaders and workers alike are cashing, at present, and will continue to do so for some more time to come. The name of BP Koirala hangs by the tongues of everyone, from Congress toddlers to titans.

In 1958, parliamentarian Man Mohan Adhikari and the lefties rallying behind him gathered in the then town hall to toss anti-BP pamphlets in air. They wanted to tell people that Prime Minister Koirala favoured his mediocre non deserving brother-in-law, Tej Kumar Dahal (Ram Babu) for a fellowship to Australia by killing the chances of many bright Nepali students. They were right. BP Koirala was not wrong either. The fact came to his notice only after one of the pamphlets fell onto his hands.

BP learnt the usavoury truth from his wife Sushila that his only brother in law as unfairly flown to Australia for higher studies. He also unearthed the fact that couple of his cabinet colleagues collusively did so to appease BP’s wife, and subsequently, to win Sushila’s recommendation so as to secure a place in good books of Koirala.

Even for BP’s co-warriors of democracy turned cabinet colleagues, culture of sycophancy that they inherited in legacy from past regimes were too endearing to part away with.

Enraged by the stupidity of his colleagues, BP Koirala asked his ministers to undo the decision and call Ram Babu back. There came the rats out of their holes. Terrified colleagues, struck with dismay for sycophancy bearing no fruits but poison, implored BP with their trembling hands to excuse them for the mistakes they committed and give up the idea of calling him back. BP who wanted the toddling democracy to deliver goods and win love of people in return, was too hot to cool down so quickly. Somehow, they persuaded BP to give up the idea of his brother-in-law’s withdrawal. Later, someone poisoned his brother-in-law’s ear by whispering the tales of BP’s hardening stance against him, and his only brother-in-law, in turn, never appreciated BP Koirala, though he never admitted it in public.

One can still read what BP Koirala’s attitude towards Ram Babu Dahal was and how he rated his brother-in-law in his
Jail Journal.

To some of us, talking history may just be like digging out buried corpse, having no relevance to the present. They may be true. The question, however, is whether, even after 42 years, do we still have such comrades with old values of sycophancy and conspiracy running thick in their veins? Do they still form a vicious around BP Koirala’s youngest brother, the seemingly strongest man in Nepali politics?

One may have enough reasons to think so. Sometime back, Kantipur daily carried a news story under the headline "Appellate Court quashes cabinet’s decision". The story went like, "The government through a cabinet decision had decided to lend some 82 ropanis of land to Sushma Koirala Memorial Trust (SKMT) at Suntole Village Development Committee of Sankhu. Acting on the writ petition filed by the Suntole VDC chairman, Sher Gambhir Thapa, the Lalitpur-based Appellate Court quashed the government’s decision".

The news, if it is true, must have been as unpalatable and frustrating to younger Koirala as it had been to the elder Koirala, 42 years back, when his comrades in arms clandestinely sent his brother-in-law to Australia for further studies. Then, his comrades acted from behind the curtain without letting BP Koirala get the smell of it. But, this time, the news states that the decision to lease the land to SKMT was made through the cabinet. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, relatively remains a leader with height and image. He is still seen as glimmering light at the end of tunnel, by Congressmen, at least. He too, like his elder brother Koirala, has to steer a bruised democracy across the turbulent waters. But, how come such news doesn’t pain Prime Minister Koirala? How can Prime Minister Koirala, who can refuse party ticket to his daughter, despite aggressive lobbying in her favour, let his cabinet colleagues push an unpopular decision through eroding his own image?

Unlike BP Koirala’s time, the iron curtain has been lifted and the Berlin Wall pulled down letting the wind of democracy blow strong all over. Threat to democracy no longer emanates from tyrants and dictators. But, the threat is very much there. And, they come from people whose patience is wearing thin. Prime Minister Koirala must realize that greasing wheels of democracy requires popular faith and not the guns of the military and the truncheon of police.

Unfortunately, the kind of news running in media in no way contributes to the revival of popular faith that is already on the decline.

Unlike BP Koirala, the time and clime stand behind his youngest brother. Whether or not his comrades in arms stand behind him with a clean heart and pure mind is something that may best be judged only after both the time and clime slips out of Koirala’s hand. Elder Koirala realized when it was already late. Younger Koirala may never realize.

Prime Minister Koirala has advantages. Whether or not he can exploit them to the benefit of himself and the country depends on how dexterous, discreet and discerning he can become.