New FNCCI boss

Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, first vice president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has just been elected the new FNCCI president unopposed. President Shrestha comes from a business family. Therefore, it did not take too long for him to reach this high profile post amongst the business community. Having come into office, he should now face the present political situation in the country as well as the economic slowdown. Shrestha has taken up the FNCCI presidency at a time when the economic  environment has turned really bad. The economy has been impacted upon by the Maoist insurgency and the political instability. Against this background, the leaders of the business community have shown shortsightedness. For them it is profits that count for more than responsible membership of the community at large and good corporate citizenship. They have invested their capital for short term gain only, and are divided among themselves when it comes to contributing to the development of this country. Such a rent seeking attitude on the part of the business leadership has benefitted themselves more than the country. 

The first challenge the new FNCCI boss is going to run into is the proposed formation of
a Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI). This will be, if comes into existence, a rival organisation. For sometime now, a rival group of industrialists have been accusing some members of the FNCCI of unethical practices. In fact, there are reasons to believe that these members have failed to practise democratic norms whenever they conduct elections for the more coveted FNCCI posts. The notion of the CNI would not have come up within the apex body of the business community had there been fair and impartial polls while electing the president. While the business community has been seen to be putting profits first, such as in the way its leaders have raised their voices against the hike in import tariff, they have also failed to work collectively for the benefit of the country and to bring together all political leaders to work out a basis for avoiding untoward strikes.

Formation of the CNI, if it takes place, will fracture the business community. This may not serve the long term interests of either business and industry or the country. Businessmen help bankroll the political parties with a view to immediate returns in the shape of sundry favours. A fractured business community will compound this nexus and lose its bargaining power. President Shrestha recognize the differences within the FNCCI and try and compose those differences in the country’s long term interest. He must also work to bring all the political parties on the same wavelength over matters of business, industry and labour so that the economy as a whole will be the winner.

Operation Holeri

By Nagendra Chhetri

In a remote and desolate area of Rolpa district there was suddenly and unexpectedly an unusual movement of troops on July 13 despite the bad monsoon weather. The mission given to the olive greens by the government was to search and rescue seventy-one abducted security personnel without inflicting any casualty and get their looted weapons back from the militants. The militants never thought that the whole of their so called liberated area would be so swiftly cordoned off forestalling a pre-planned victory parade at Holeri where abducted security personnel were to be humiliatingly paraded in front of the jubilant militant leadership, the coerced and innocent local people and the wrongly and mistakenly indoctrinated and forcefully brainwashed so called people’s militia. Dozens of reporters and media people invited for the propaganda victory parade and thousands of reluctant participants/watchers had to be dispersed and told to run for their lives. When the scheduled parade could not be held and they could not proclaim the republic naturally the falsely built image of the militant leadership was in danger of dwindling and the cadres and supporters could become demoralized to the extent of breaking the remaining residual aggressive will which had been bolstered by the unopposed capture of numerous police posts. Now what are the militants to do? Well? Start the damage control campaign of miss-information, says a highly placed source of a security agency.

The rumour campaign that tried to create confusion and chaos in the national and international community about the feeding and surrender of security elements, their compromising the given mission and reaching an understanding with the Maoists is a mere ploy for discrediting, embarrassing and dividing the politico-military leadership. Declaring that the militants and olive-green local commanders conducted dialogues and reached an understanding is the normal but outdated tactics and techniques of militants who are desperate to save face when the tide turns against them. The aim is to create a crisis of confidence on the politico-military front on the one hand and on the other miss-inform the national and international media in a bid to raise the diminished morale of the militant cadres and militias. Also by adopting this divide and rule policy of outdated colonial and communist dictatorial mentality the militants think that the poor, uneducated, unemployed, unsuspecting and innocent masses can be impressed and cultivated. Are the Maoists so over supplied in those poverty striken remote areas and is their logistics so strong and sound that they can feed and shelter an entire olive green contingent?

Well? One thing is crystal clear about this Holeri operation. Operation Holeri has proved that the Royal Army can do the job trusted to it by the government even in an extreme situation. Imagine a situation where machine guns can blast targets presented by forced children, women and men and abducted police personnel! Where would the credibility and public image have gone had the local commander or wounded officer lost his cool? What credibility would have been left for the democratic institutions to claim, for the government to be claimed as democratic? All democratic forces should understand how a very junior military commanders instant decision of with holding or firing a few rounds could make or break the national will/national objective? Having suffered three serious casualties and two helicopters damaged and having the firepower to blast the whole area, the junior officers still keep calm, do not lose their head and display outstanding courage and patience to held their fire. Under such stress and strain only professional soldering would restrain one although nothing would be more humiliating for a man in uniform than his comrades in arms starting to fall under militant firing, says a defence expert.

The Nepalese Maoist, under the camouflage of a political front have conducted terrorist activities with gangster-style characteristics. If the Maoist problem is a political one it must be confronted and tackled on the political front. What are democratic forces and their cadres and supporters doing to help maintain peace and stability in the democratic system? Where is the propaganda machine, the media warfare and the political opposition to convince the public and win their hearts and minds? Why are all those political forces working under the present constitution not rejecting one united front at least on national issues like the Maoist one, if it is a national issue? Is it enough for a statement to be made over radio/TV, engage in back room politics and fight like cats and dogs for power and position while the militants kill, kidnap, torture, maim and abduct anyone who opposes their ideology? Instead of standing as one solid block on all issues of national dimension why does everybody interpret things to suit their personal or political interests at the cost of national interest? Democratic forces should do some deep soul searching if democracy is to be consolidated, strengthened and stabilized.

The most important thing for the democratic forces to understand is not to fall prey to the efforts of the militants to drive a wedge between them and bring about wide gaps, amongst them. They will not be wrong to claim victory at their achievements in this respect. One little mistake or minor negligence and they will find the means to create conditions for crisis and divert public opinion against the system itself. Every thinking person knows that the system we are practising is a system that has been evolved over the years and found to be the best system of governance in human history. Where we have gone wrong is in the implementation of the system in keeping with the expectations and aspirations of the people.

The present stalemate in Rolpa created by the militants using children, women, innocent civilian and abducted police personnel as human shields is a tactic to wear down the patience of the olive green contingent and draw fire to jeopardize the mission. The olive greens are firm and have created conditions for democratic forces to negotiate from a position of strength. The democratic political forces should capitalize on the situation and explore ways and means of finding acceptable solutions in keeping with the fundamental characteristics of the constitution.

The Royal Nepal Army, as the government has been emphasizing, is in Rolpa in accordance with the ISDP programme and to search for and rescue the abducted policemen and retrieve their looted weapons. The Maoists will be wise to surrender the policemen and their weapons before the army takes tougher measures, which may cause damage that none wants. They say the army is there not to kill and shoot anyone but to protect the lives and property of the citizens of Nepal. That is fine. All the entry and exit points are closed and the cordon area is being tightened. There is already some sense of security created throughout the country and the trust that people have in the Royal Nepal Army will be strengthen and their credibility consolidated. The must not be seen to be protecting the selfish motives of any political front. People will not accept the premature withdrawal of the army and any falling into the insurgents’ political ambush. There is a national stake here. There should be no political interference in military operations and all democratic forces should rise above party politics and support the cause. The politico-military leadership should stick to one single national objective. They must think of geographical accessibility, positional vulnerability, troops sustainability, rebels criticality, their reconverability and inclement weather and protect the monarchical, democratic political system. The Maoist will be wise to join in the national mainstream of the open political system and give up their gangster-style raids threatening the fundamental rights of their own brethren.

If we don’t stand together at this hour of multiple national crisis and keep on looking for any pretext to bash the monarchy and abuse multiparty democracy, ever-ready external elements will find excuses for interfering in our sovereignty.

Of Matwalis and Matuwas

By C B Dahal

It is indeed challenging to kill time while travelling long distance by bus. It becomes even more monotonous when you have rigid and boring views flying past, especially on a never-ending stretch of straight road. And to while way the time, you get into ‘Hi’ "Hello" conversations either with your co-passengers or someone across the aisle. And, normally it is small talks, but sometimes it takes a serious turn that can be a memorable
episode later.

Once I was on such a bus journey. Travelling along with me was my cousin, a neighbour who was a matwali but a teetotaller, a pundit (self-professed and self-appointed custodian of Hindu code of conduct) among others.

It so happened that my matwali neighbour found it quite amusing to pick on the pundit. He quickly manoeuvred the conversation towards ethic and religious bias.

"Punditji, why is that I never touch a drop of liquor but I always remain a matwali. But, there are a lot of Brahmins and Chhetris who drown themselves in liquor yet
they do not become a matwali?"
asked my neighbour, and turning towards me said, "What do you say about it?"

"You have asked Punditji and I am sure he will give you a proper reply," I said, trying hard not to get into this messy controversy. To which my cousin positively nodded.

But Punditji took that as an offence and began throwing his tirade on me.

"You should be taking my side to defend me, instead you are trying to get me defeated by this unruly matwali," he barked at me.

I was taken aback by his statement.

"Punditji," I said, trying stay cool, " Right now the question is being put to you and you should answer him. But, if you find it difficult to answer, admit it, I will give him a proper reply."

That seemed to put him in a bigger quandary. He was more concerned of being exposed of literary calibre. And, left his seat in a huff to take another at the end of the bus.

Punditji’s cut shot his journey and got off the bus at the next stop. But even to this day, whenever we cross our paths, he glares at me, though with the years the colour in his eyes has faded away; it is no more red.

Now, the readers must be eager to know the answer. Well, a matwali is a matwali because even if the person is a teetotaller his religious and purification ceremonies will be incomplete
without the use of alcohol. And as far as the soggy Brahmin or Chhetri is concerned that would be a taboo. So they can never become matwali, but will have to be content as matuwas (drunkards) only.

Food labelling system

By Dr Tika Karki

Countries have enacted respective food laws and regulations for consumer protection taking into account the local realities. The essential characteristic of food is that it should be wholesome, safe and cause no deleterious effect on human health. Food regulations embody protective measures and provisions such as definition of food, adulterated, poisonous foods, subsistence foods or substandard foods, permissible limits to additives like colours, preservatives, and flavouring agents, etc. Establishing the acceptable daily intake of food contaminants such as pesticide residues, mycotoxins, heavy metals, veterinary drug residues etc in foods requires assessment and science-based decisions for ensuring safety to the public as provisioned by WTO.

Food standards are developed keeping in view the sophistication of processing industries, available agricultural technology and practices, and the available infrastructure linking production with marketing. Besides such basic information, other pertinent points are also absolutely necessary for assessing permissible level or acceptable limits based on feeding trials under toxicological evaluations conducted in reputed laboratories recognised by the FAO/WHO Codex system. All this data is gathered and the critical dose or limit for human exposure assessed keeping in view technological and socio-economical applicability. These are the modus operandi of food standard development.

How can consumers buy a product which is presumably safe and within the prescribed and approved limits? What are the criteria or essential components that consumers should give due consideration to? Food laws have established mandatory criteria for assuring the soundness of packaged products and all manufacturers should comply with such requirements.

In Nepal, food laws have made mandatory requirements for labelling such as description of the product, name and address of manufactures, ingredients, net contents and weights, approved additives, batch number and manufacturing date, in Nepali or English. However, these requirements need updating and harmonising with other essentials like good manufacturing practices (GMP), and the code of hygiene practices etc to ensure the safety of food supplies.

The essential criteria for food labelling should be laid down in such a way that consumers can get adequate information about the food. Such information comprises the name of the product which should be clear and specific and not generic. Labels should contain the following information:

1. List of the ingredients - All ingredients of the food should be specified in the descending order of weight. Added water should be declared in the list of ingredients unless forms part of a soup or broth or brine.

2. Net contents and weights - The net contents should be mentioned in the metric system such as for liquid foods by volume, for solid food by weight, for semi-solid food or viscous food either by weight or volume. The drained weight should be declared for food packaged with a liquid medium.
The term liquid medium may refer to
water, aqueous solutions of sugar and salt, fruit and vegetable juices in canned products etc.

3. Name and address - The name and address of manufactures, packers, distributors, importers, exporters and venders etc should be specified.

4. Country of origin - The country of origin should be declared in the label to avoid unnecessary confusion, or misleading of the consumer. When the food undergoes further processing in a second country with changes in the nature of the product other than originally produced, that second country would be considered the country of origin for labelling purpose.

5. Lot identification - Each container should be marked in code or in clear to
denote the identity of the manufacturing industry and the lot.

6. Date marking and storage instruction should be specified.

7. Date of minimum durability - The date should be written in words such as ‘best before’ wherever the date is indicated. Excluded are the following products:

- fresh fruits and vegetables including potatoes which are not peeled, cut or
treated likewise.

- Wines, liquors wines, sparkling wines, aromatised wines, fruit wines and sparkling fruit wines.

- beverages containing 10 % or more of alcohol by volume.

- bakers or pastry products which are normally consumed within 24 hrs of manufacturing.

- vinegar, food grade salt,

- solid sugar, confectionary products consisting of flavoured and/or coloured sugars, chewing gums.

- date of minimum durability should be adhered to with instructions on appropriate storage conditions.

Distorted and misleading food advertisements often make tall claims regardless of wholesomeness safety, and nutritional quality of food. In many cases, such malafide advertisements neither substantiate their claims in terms of composition of foods nor with guarantee of proclaimed quality factors. The food control administration should monitor false statements and advertisements through social marketing. Consumers should be alerted and empowered for not being mislead by irresponsible and untrue information.

The health or nutrition claims for any kinds of food, unless provisioned in food regulations should be prohibited. Unsubstantiated claims should be deliberately avoided. Claims to cure or treat disease should be prohibited unless they are specified as foods for special dietary uses, under the food regulations.

Misleading claims such as ‘wholesome’ ‘healthful’ and ‘sound’ should be avoided. Terms for different foods, such as ‘natural’, ‘pure’, ‘fresh’, ‘home-made’, ‘organically grown’,
and ‘biologically grown’, should be practiced as per the national practice in the country along with the code of good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices.

Nutrition labelling - This is very important because foods are often claimed as nutritious and healthful. It is true that all foods contain nutrients varying in concentrations depending upon the kind of food. Formulated foods are vulnerable from the point of exaggerated claims of supplying all nutrients which a human body needs. Normally, children, lactating mothers pregnant women and aged citizen, or convalescent people should consume nutritious foods. This group of people is vulnerable. Nutrition labelling denotes the nutritional properties of foods. It comprises two components- a) nutrition declaration and b) supplementary nutrition information. Nutrition declaration lists the nutrient content of foods. Nutrient means any substance normally consumed as a constituent of food and which provides energy or which is needed for growth, development, and maintenance of food or a deficit of which may cause relative biochemical or physiological changes. Supplementary nutrition information is generally targeted at illiterate populations. Such informations should be pictorial or in colour in addition to the nutrition declarations in the label.

Non-compliance of food labelling is still predominant in world food trade no matter whether the product originates in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. Adherence to food labelling criterion should be taken as the starting point to assure safe food supplies to consumers.