Reform country’s jails

Justice delayed is justice denied. If this is an accepted truth, then the prisoners of five regional jails living in inhumane conditions year upon year are denied the basic necessities they are entitled to. This fact also indicates that the government has taken no steps to improve the condition of country’s jails. Neither has the government implemented the report submitted by the Parliamentary State Affairs Committee (SAC), nor has it been able to allocate adequate funds to run these jails. As a result, jail inmates - be they mentally ill or HIV/AIDS victims - continue to suffer, due to lack of separate cells, malnutrition and physical torture.

Last June, SAC prepared a report, suggesting both long and short term plans to improve the living condition of jail inmates. It was natural that the government formed SAC to conduct such a study on the deteriorating condition of the country’s jails. This initiative was prompted when many prisoners complained of various kinds of sufferings - malnutrition, physical torture, sexual abuse, inadequate space, poor sanitation, death in prisons and so on. It is a known fact that prisoners are deprived of basic necessities. And the inmates’ demand for improvement of their woeful living conditions was clearly justified. Given the present condition of the five regional jails, none of them provides even the minimum facility acceptable to prisoners.

There are no separate cells for women who are living with their children nor do their children attend schools. HIV/AIDS victims, mentally ill inmates and those with contagious diseases are kept together at the risk of their health. What appears worse is that the number of mentally ill and unstable prisoners in the central jail is far greater than in other regional jails. This apart, the daily allowance of 15 rupees and 700 grams of rice for each inmate are other miseries that speak of the bitter truth.

The government should not forget that jail inmates are living in century-old buildings, which are on the verge of collapse. They must be treated as ordinary human beings to reintegrate them into our society. In order to do so, it has to construct new buildings with adequate facilities so that HIV/AIDS and mentally ill prisoners can live separately from each other. The government must also ensure the provision of employment to prisoners to develop their skills and make them self-reliant after they come out of prisons. If these aspects are guaranteed while implementing the SAC report, the government will at least have fulfilled the basic necessities it has failed to provide thus far.

Tug of war in NC: Some critical observations

By Jal Singh

We (congressmen) obey no discipline, no rule, follow no principle of public morality, display no sense of social awareness, show no concern for the public weal. Corruption is not only tolerated but even regarded as the hallmark of leadership", Rajiv Gandhi the former prime minister of India said these touching words at the Indian Congress Centenary Celebrations in Bombay. Every word of late Rajiv Gandhi addressed to Indian Congressmen applies to today’s Nepali Congressmen who are engrossed in their petty economic and political gains. Even after thirty years of Panchayat rule and ten years of democratic rule, Nepalese people are feeling the air of freedom with a polluted democratic culture. In democracy, people must have a sense of discipline. It is said that, "a democracy without a discipline is democracy without future."

Crisis in government: Recently, the political game of making and breaking the government is being replayed. In view of internal differences within the ruling party, that too at the highest level, there has been some doubt in the minds of general public whether the present government will complete the term especially after the no-confidence motion. The recent crisis in NC has created a political confusion in the country. It is indirectly weakening the decade old established democracy. The faith of general public has been seriously eroded in the parliamentary system. The root cause of the present crisis is the ignorance of values. It has been said that Prime Minister Koirala is being haunted by a tactic he used effectively against his predecessor. Since the day he won the no trust motion, the rebel camp of the ruling NC has been preparing for a tough fight. The lured lawmakers on Koirala’s side may again defect the Prime Minister soon. The Koirala camp managed to get the required number of parliamentarians but the support may not last long. The manner in which the Deuba camp abstained from voting, giving Koirala a victory by default, also shows that Koiral will have a tough time ahead.

Just to recapitulate, Koirala had removed the Bhattarai government accusing it of failing to control corruption, Maoist violence and establishing good governance. Deuba recently said, "Instead, the Maoist issue has gotten worse ten times and there is no such thing left as good governance." In the national election of May 1999, NC won a solid majority of parliamentary seats. Although the leadership within the Congress party has been disappointingly weak over the intervening months, expectations for the reform agenda are still high. There is increasing pressure on the government to curb corruption, speed civil service reform and to show the progress in the provision of basic social services.

Political instability: It is difficult to write about the democratisation process in Nepal without constantly being overtaken by the reality of frequent government changes after the restoration of democracy in 1990. The government is in permanent change. The present premier is the ninth in the ten year period after the restoration of democracy. Koirala now heads for the fourth time the premiership in the country. Between 1994 and 1999, the country succeeded in holding onto its "democratic principles" but the fragility and impotence of four minority/coalition governments slowed the advancement of the reform agenda. During this period, disillusionment with the party system by radical elements of the communist party led to the birth of the Maoist movement, which took to the hills, started a violent struggle to overthrow the present parliamentary system. This insurgency is feeding on the growing dissatisfaction of Nepal’s citizens with the lack of government response to their demands for basic services and change.

The country is in shamble, its infrastructure has run down, its potential wealth of the enormous hydropower potential is very much in demand. How can democracy be established under these circumstances, a form of government which requires a basic consensus over common values and which needs active and informed citizens for its functioning? To be sure, there will be offers of assistance from international donors, which will demand the usual promises of good governance, and democratic, participatory government from the new rulers as a condition for their aid. Without stability, democracy has no chance as we have just seen in other countries.

The majority government of the Nepali Congress missed a golden opportunity to manage the government machinery, control corruption and improve the economy because of the feud within the party. This is the conclusion of the board of directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The report is based on the report of a delegation of the IMF, which had visited Nepal in November. IMF has also cautioned that the Maoist insurgency movement may escalate further because the economy has failed to take off. According to a news report, the IMF has severely criticised the government. That is why the government has not disclosed this to the public, the news report says. It is also said that the IMF has also sent a 52 point suggestion to the government.

The Nepal’s economy with a diminutive per capita income and more than one third of the total population below absolute poverty line, is passing through a critical phase, circumscribed by a low level of equilibrium trap resulting in poverty and stagnation where dependence, interdependence, vulnerability and sensitivity currently exist. The challenge to Nepalese economy are enormous. There is a need to develop a more pragmatic approach to a substantial breakthrough in the economic front to deal with poverty, unemployment, inflation and sustainable development without compromising on core national interest issues.

Rhetoric and practice: Good government in general, especially in the context of the Girija Prasad Koirla’s government, means the means by which this government came into office. How far does this government represent a broad range of interest rather than that of only a particular small section of society? How far is there democratic control of political parties making the leadership accountable to party members? How far is political opposition tolerated and given freedom of expression and assembly, including freedom of the media? What evidence exists of popular consent to the existing government? To what extent does the government consult representative groups outside the government regarding policy formulation and planning ? What participation is there of non-government groups at local and community level in decisions affecting them? As regards to accountability and transparency, the following questions should be answered. How clearly set out and consistently applied are responsibilities in government at political and official levels - between ministries - between central and local government - between parastatals and other public sector bodies and central government - within institutions? How responsive are government institutions to civil society, groups and individuals that they exist to serve? To what extent does the political arm of government give a clear lead on the desirability of accountability and probity? How transparent are financial responsibilities and relationship? How effective are mechanisms for establishing expected performance, both financial and more generally and for reporting against them? What systems are there for internal and external audit along with effective mechanisms, such as a Public Accounts Committee, for calling organizations and individuals to account? How serious is evidence of corruption at various levels of government; how far are there mechanisms to combat corruption and are these used effectively? To what extent is information readily available to society at large, including through the media, as a basis for judging government actions? Is the population sufficiently educated to use such information and question performance?

Competence of the government: With regard to the competence of good governance of the Girija Prasad Koirla-led government, the often asked queries are: How far is policy formulated following appropriate consultation within and outside the government? How appropriate are the levels at which decisions are taken? How timely is decision making? How adequate are the skills in government to analyse policy and strategy options? To what extent are decisions promulgated appropriately and acted on effectively? How fair and effective is management of the public service? How far is it able to meet the demands placed upon it? How consistently are activities and services delivered to plan? How appropriate is the content of the government economic and social policy, recognising the scope for differing judgements and values? To what extent is security expenditure at an excess relative to security threats?

In the recent episode to oust the Koirala from both: as Party President and from Premiership, Deuba is backed by Koirala’s friend turned foe Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, whose signature was not in the list of 56 MPs that had filed the proposal to oust Girija Prasad Koirala. However, Bhattarai reiterated his support to the rebelling camp immediately after the camp had filed the motion at the parliamentary party. The parliamentarians and the party workers must work hard to shape and mould a new society and give identity to the nation.

Cure for corruption

By Sunit Giri

Development of science and technologies in the recent years has been remarkable. Today car engines have computer chips and human bodies have artificial hearts. Satellite media has made the two ends of this world just a few seconds apart. There is simply no turning back. The progress is continuous and accumulative. This development is worth the applause, but somewhere down the line, it also has its drawbacks. For example the overload of information is putting our brains into a state of panic and confusion. Today, you have so many choices that you are simply lost, lost in the woods of information. My father used to tell me, "little knowledge is dangerous and too much is fatal."

Children today have to carry a ton of books to school. By the time they reach colleges and universities, their eyes are patched with thick glasses. They have to be extremely competitive and above average, otherwise this supersonic developing world will leave them far behind. It is like a Formula One Rally. You ought to be the best and fastest. Or, there is only one alternative, you simply become corrupt. This is in fact a better and easier way of climbing the ladder of success. Corruption is the in-thing today. From ministers to the peon, the chalan of being corrupt is very common and popular. Is it because of lack of literacy or the burden of poverty? Or, is it that our civic sense and our personal morale are long dead?

Corruption has no bars, whatever the age, sex, class, culture or creed. Gone are the Satyayug days of Lord Rama and Krishna. Today it is the Kaliyug of Rawans and Duryodhans. What else can we do? Isolation from corrupt people will not do any good. Forget that one rotten potato could spoil the whole sack. Nothing can be done when almost the whole sack is rotten. I think it is better to join the bandwagon unless and until a miracle takes place. Only the rebirth of Gods themselves could help. But, I doubt, if corruption has not hit the heaven, too because everybody knows it is the fastest and most hard hitting disease of present day.

Now the question arises who is going to help and how? Only a thin ray of hope is still alive. If a man could conquer the Mt Everest, set foot on the moon, eradicate disease like smallpox and cure the dreaded cancer, then we still seem to have some sort of hope. But with so many corrupt people around, what else could be expected, but a faint whisper of hope. From where will it come and how will it come is yet another big question.

I keep hearing this statement, "the entire system should be changed." This is annoying. The system is nothing but you, me and the people around us. You change yourself first and then only there is any real change.

Riddle in a mystery inside an enigma

By M R Josse

Winston Churchill in a memorable radio broadcast on October 1, 1939 stated, inter alia: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."

Riddle: That well-known quote came to mind while ruminating over the sequence of disturbances here at the fag end of last month.

Though greatly relieved that the frenzy at the tragic cost of seven precious human lives and incalculable loss of national property has more or less subsided, this columnist was also reminded of another famous saying: That of Thomas Carlyle’s, which goes — "history is a distillation of rumour."

Indeed, riddles and rumours were at the core of that madness. While fertile minds continued to spew forth a glut of theories to explain it all — some of them boringly predictable — yours faithfully was stumped by one of the lunacy’s telling dimensions.

He continues to be stymied by the manner in which rumours were cynically spread to "prove" that the random mob violence that erupted was directed specifically against members of the Indian community or Nepalese of Indian ethnicity.

(As all know, the mob’s brunt was borne by a rainbow assortment of road-side shopkeepers, business enterprises, cinema hall and even car/motor cycle owners who came in their way. A relative of mine, a banker by profession, for example, had his Japanese car with very important official documentation burnt to cinders.)

Incidentally, the effective deployment of rumour-as-weapon impelled him to turn to a booklet on "psychological warfare" picked up at a second-hand pavement bookseller in Kolkata.

An engrossing paragraph bearing on the subject of newspapers follows: "Newspapers can be used with advantage, if facilities exist, in strategic, tactical or consolidation operations. Whilst their effects are likely to be long term, they are often invaluable in building up credibility by the factual reporting of news with an apparent absence of propaganda." Ah, so!

Since no official probe has been instituted, in Nepal or in India, to go into the genesis of the deliberate rumour-mongering, one fails to understand why, given that the situation in Nepal had even come to the very brink of a national catastrophe.

Should the truth not be revealed or valid lessons not be learnt thereby, so that similar happenings do not recur in the future?

Mystery: Turning our attention, now, to some abiding conundrums and theories on the developments above, one cannot but recall and wonder at the spate of unfortunate events that have mysteriously befallen this nation in the past one year or so.

First was the airline hijack episode which not only came in tandem with unfounded accusations against a Nepali businessman but which resulted in a five-month plus Indian air embargo against Nepal, besides the introduction of a battery of new security measures at Kathmandu airport, at New Delhi’s behest.

Then came the infamous India Today smear campaign in the form of a supposed "Nepal Game Plan" targeting mighty, nuclear India!

Not long after that mystery, we were faced with the enigma of the Rastriya Swayamshevak Sangh (RSS), linked by umbilical chord with the BJP, coming up in Marathi publication Amritpath with a map showing Nepal as an integral part of "undivided India."

Not much water had flown down the Bagmati after that when the country faced BBC’s insensitive question on its Internet website: "Would Nepal be better off if it were under the Indian umbrella?"

Now, after the unpleasant Hritik controversy, we have the incendiary comments by a BJP notable, K R Malkani, alleging, without providing the slightest shred of documentary proof, that King Tribhuvan had offered Nepal to Nehru on a platter.

Twisting the knife further into the wound of the Nepalese psyche, Malkani, former editor of RSS publication Observer, reportedly went on to suggest that India should have done a Sikkim on Nepal!

Though HMG protested and official India decried Malkani’s inflammatory remarks, according to a news story in the Times of India on New Year’s day, Malkani told Reuters: "I stand by what I said. But if I have inadvertently hurt any friends in Nepal, then I am extremely sorry. At this stage, the chapter is closed."

What needs to be noted by all and sundry is (a) that he has reminded Nepal of India’s capability/desire to incorporate Nepal a la Sikkim and (b) that he chose to diminish the image of the Nepalese monarchy precisely at a time when more and more people are calling on the King to step in and clean up the mess that this country is now mired in.

Enigma: So, what’s really going on? Would someone who knows let us know? All that this columnist can do is to recall below how World War Two began, based on Allan Bulloch’s most engrossing book, "Hitler: A Study in Tyranny".

"Since 10 August one of Heydrich’s SS men, Naujocks, had been waiting at Gleiwitz, near the Polish frontier, in order to stage a faked Polish attack on the German radio station there...

"Naujocks explained in an affidavit taken after the war, Mueller had twelve or thirteen condemned criminals who were to be dressed in Polish uniforms and left dead on the ground...They were given fatal injections...Then they were given gunshot wounds. After the incident, members of the Press and other persons were to be taken to the scene of the incident...

"At 8 PM on 31 August, Naujocks picked up one of these men, already unconscious, near the Gleiwitz radio station, seized the station as he had been ordered, broadcast a short proclamation and fired a new pistol shots, leaving the body behind...The ‘attack’ on Gleiwitz was one of Polish infringements of German territory cited by the Germans as the justification for their attack the next day."

Clearly, things are not always what they seem; rumours are a lethal weapon; and faked dramas can have a deadly effect through a compliant press. But, is anyone listening, does anyone care?