Valley population

The Census of 2001 conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has unexpectedly recorded a whopping jump in the population of Kathmandu Valley. This is something that has to be taken seriously by the government even if it does not have any immediate plans for the development of this valley. The population increase has led to encroachment of public land, misuse of authority and illegal and unplanned construction of buildings. This is the main reason why there is little open space left in the capital city for public recreation, and why the problem of water scarcity has reached crisis proportions. Children and the old have little space in which to play or stroll. The negligence shown by Kathmandu metropolitan Corporation and some of the other municipal authorities inside the valley in protecting public land is nothing short of scandalous. The situation would not have assumed such alarming proportions had government officials, at both local and central levels, taken timely and proper steps to prevent illegal constructions or to implement rules with the intention of preventing encroachment of public land.

According to the CBS, the valley population registered a growth of 62 percent, a figure that should make all sections of society sit up and take serious notice. The earlier census of 1991 gave Kathmandu Valley a population of only a little over 622,780. The government then had permitted the construction of buildings in a planned way. It had left spaces for public recreation and the widening of roads, and it supplied more adequate water. The extension of Kathmandu city at that time was carried out in an organized and planned manner, quite unlike today. Unfortunately, a decade later the Valley population has increased by more than one million. Of this total, 70 percent reside within the city, while the rest are scattered over various VDCs. The liberalization of economic policy and centralization of power are other factors that have led to increase in the population of Kathmandu. With the restoration of democracy, Kathmandu also attracted people from the poverty ridden Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This apart, insurgency in northeast India forced many people of Nepali origin to flee their homes and head for Nepal.

The political party in power must acknowledge that it has failed to work out a mechanism to prevent the encroachment of public land. Illegal construction of houses in Kathmandu valley has become a major challenge for city planning and development. The influx of people from neighbouring Indian states has turned things from bad to worse. Stress on law alone will not be a solution to the present problem unless local politicians and bureaucrats come up with further measures. The government must henceforth plan the city and allow settlements accordingly. In the face of the haphazard growth of Kathmandu city, more problems have been thrown up and with no credible solution in sight.

Discriminatory US gag rule

By Subhash Pradhan

On January 22, 2001, US President George W. Bush revived the Mexico City Policy (or the "Global Gag Rule"). This policy restricts foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that receive US family planning funds from using their own, non-US funds to provide legal abortion (clinical) services, lobby their own governments for abortion law reform, or even provide counselling , referrals, or information provision ,or even advocacy for favourable and positive attitudes regarding abortion. This gag rule is not only a blow to our right to free speech, but also denies poor , desperate women across the country the medical attention they desperately need. Each year women worldover undergo an estimated 20 million unsafe abortions , resulting in the deaths of approximately 78,000  women annually.

While GGR places a restriction on any family planning organization outside the US , either directly or indirectly. But this rule doesn’t apply to women in the US, as they are protected by a different role of " basic human rights" and "freedom of choice". This is a double standard and a great contradiction in this rule. So this rule is undemocratic and discriminatory.

The GGR has a negative impact on Nepal’s democratic process. The fear among NGOs is so high that it has foiled the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) plan to form an NGO network to define advocacy strategies to decriminalize abortion and reduce maternal mortality. We are struggling to decide how to deal with restrictive legal provisions that have led to the deaths, injuries and misery caused by unsafe abortions and the imprisonment of thousands of Nepalese women. An export working group was formed by MOH to prepare advocacy packages to influence lawmakers in passing the Civil Code Amendment bill on women’s right which would also legalize abortion on certain issues. Like the Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN) and many other NGOs are providing contributions to this cause.

The FPAN has made the decision not to certify the Global Gag Rule. From the point of view of human and women’s rights, we cannot deny the rights of women to know and have access to information on potential ways to protect themselves.

Maternal mortality rate in Nepal is one of the highest in the world, 539 women in 100,000 die from pregnancy-related complications. And more than half of these deaths are caused by unsafe abortions. And one in five women in prison in Nepal have been incarcerated for having abortion. Abortion is illegal and taken as crime, even in cases of rape or incest, punishable by imprisonment for both woman and the abortion service provider. But women, from rich families, have safe abortions from qualified physicians in towns and cities. But the poor women from the villages are suffering from these legal restrictions, and they are forced to end unintended pregnancies under unsafe conditions. The unqualified provider insert cow dung or powered glass in the uterus to have abortion.

However, FPAN has declared that abortion is not a method of family planning. It is actually a failure of family planning. So we don’t advocate abortion. In fact, it is our policy to promote the effective use of contraceptives to reduce the numbers of abortions. That is why we want to make contraception accessible to as much as we can. Unfortunately, less than a third of married couple in Nepal use contraception. The unmet need for family planning is also high and so are unintended pregnancies among married women. Over a third of the unintended pregnancies, and more than half of those due to contraceptive failure, end in induced abortions.

Because of the Global Gag Rule , an agreement with Engender Health (previously known as AVSC) could not be signed. As a result, the 27 year old relationship and support has fallen apart. The FPAN and AVSC partnership in the past has been instrumental in institutionalizing the concept of counselling and institutionalizing the concept of permanent clinics to provide quality sterilization (permanent method) services at the district level. The loss of almost US $ 250,000 in US funds in this project and other projects will have a major impact on FPAN’s ability to continue operating reproductive health care clinics in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Sunsari.

However, the impact and effort it will have at the grassroot level is yet to be determined. We also believe that women have the right to choose. If a woman decides that she wants an abortion,
the International Planned Parenthood Federation, part of FPAN, believes that she has the right to a safe and legal one. We understand that it is difficult to make our voices heard in protesting against Bush and his decision in the US. However, one country should not control the funding
of other donor countries and how
will it be used.

FPAN is very optimist in finding alternative sources of funding to meet the shortfall and continue its valued services to the people and the nation. Lastly, let’s join hands to fight against GGR – the most undemocratic and inhuman behaviour- to save the lives of the poor Nepalese women.

Impossible baby car

By C B Dahal 

My life began on the edge of the Himalayan foothills. I breathed the glorious wood smell from the time I was applied oil and warmed up by redwood fire. I grew up raiding crop field where, to me, even the sugarcane looked like a mighty tree. I still remember climbing the hemp ‘tree’ and falling from it. I can still recall the swing tied to the horizontal branch of a banyan tree and the time we kids had romped through the brush to be stung by wasp (I still carry the scar). It was the time when my older brother tried to suck milk straight from the cow’s teats. And, when I tried to do the same, was thrown into the cow-slush as the ‘docile’ cow lashed at me.Life was fun, gleeful and very close to nature.

Then came in the modernization. I had my first radio. And for many days I wondered how many small persons must be living inside that radio that spoke up. I did try to take a peek inside, but my cousin who owned it, shooed me away before I could some investigative.

Soon, huge four-wheel giants known as bulldozers arrived. It was so strong it could simply pull own a fully-grown tree. And, within minutes cut a path so large that six of us could walk arms stretched without touching each other. Then came in ‘father’ vehicles that carried big boulders, sand and chips. It could raise its back and pour down all it carried at one go. Then, came the ‘mother’ vehicles that had a cloth-hood just like the way the women wore on their heads. It usually carried men, women workers and khaki-clad supervisors.

Then it was the turn of ‘baby’ vehicles. The one that was sleek except for the thin layer of dust covering it, and looked very well-fed and well-looked after. This ‘baby’ never carried more than few people, and that too, only those who commanded salutes whenever they alighted. And, this ‘baby’ really caught my fancy. The ‘father’ and the ‘mother’ vehicles were all worn out, scared and wrinkled just like oldies. But, the ‘baby’ was smooth and looked fanciful.

So, I yearned for possessing one ‘baby’ vehicle. I asked all my favourite people to get one for me. But, all said it was impossible. I even suggested them to quietly tie a rope, just like you did onto a calf or a goat, and lead it home. They still said it was not possible. Why not? After all, the ‘mother’ would give birth to another ‘baby’ anytime. But, nobody took me seriously and soon I was left to myself, dreaming for a personal ‘baby’ car and gazing at it whenever it whizzed past my home. 

Issues on economic development

By Gunakar Bhatta

Nepal witnessed an outstanding economic growth of 6.4 percent in the fiscal year 1999/2000 and the probability of the continuation of this preoccupied growth rate in and around the range of 6 percent in the fiscal year 2000/01 is also high. Balance of payments remain favourable in the last fiscal year with a comfortable cushion of the foreign currency reserve sufficient to sustain the import approximately for more than a year. Simultaneously, the Consumer Price Index in the urban area of the country remained in the range of 2.1 percent. Besides, these encouraging macroeconomic indicators of the economy, policies and programs for the reform in the financial sector have also been put into action. And, our continuous effort to get an entry into WTO is in the last stage of finalizing the terms of accession to a global organization of more than hundred and forty countries in the world. Unlike these positive dimensions of economic development, it is very difficult to say that what will be the future course of our economy, and especially, how we are marching ahead in the long run of economic growth which has become a boon for us due to the favourable weather condition in most of the agrarian parts of the country during the last two years. Despite the fascinating growth rate published in different reports and statements, the economic development does not seem to be an easy task. In fact, economy faces multidimensional challenges. Here is an attempt to focus on some of the core issues that could threaten our economic development both from immediate and long term perspectives.

First and the foremost is poverty alleviation, and for this necessary infrastructure is needed in most of the rural areas of the country. An overwhelmingly rural and agrarian economy, where over 85 percent of the people live in rural areas and earn their livelihood primarily from agricultural activities, is continuously facing regional disparities in income and employment, among other things. Though the government has recently announced the formation of the Poverty Alleviation Fund to integrate all poverty alleviation programmes under an umbrella, much depends on how well they  are implemented.

The emerging issues in the area of liberalization, privatization and globalization should be addressed in such a way that they will contribute to economy significantly. Both the opportunities and challenges, resulting from a new dimension of global economy, will influence our small economy. There is also an important fact to be considered by our planners and policy makers, that the increased fashion of liberalization in some selected parts of the country on the one hand, and prevailing resource scarcity in most of the poverty stricken parts of the country on the other, may further widen the gap between the rich and the poor, and between the urban and rural people. The rationale in liberalizing our economy will depend on bridging this gap. Without industrialization our sustainable economic development is not possible in the long run, it has been said time and again. But ironically, our sickly industries are seeking government protection in one way or another. Meanwhile, our concerned ministry is making its final preparation to get an entry into WTO. But no significant efforts have been made to establish new industries or revive the ailing industries.

Good governance is another fundamental aspect for the economic development of a country. Skilled, well trained and dedicated human resource is a valuable asset of a country. But unfortunately, excess politicization, unwanted unionization and rampant corruption have played dominant roles in influencing governance in our country. What will be the fate of an honest employee in an organization or of a country as a whole, when a corrupt and ineffective mechanism functions in our core institutions, directly managed by the government or only partially. Our bureaucratic system belongs to two types of manpower, especially in government offices and government owned institutions which consist of a limited number of competent and honest employees. And, naturally conflicts prevail within these two types of skill stock in an organization. These two types of manpower always remain in a kind of implicit conflict have also become an obstacle on the road of possible human resource development in governmental organizations. And, the task of delivering the feeling of good governance to the common people and to those concerned ones has always been crushed between these extremities. Now, its a need of the time that a national consensus be built-up to give a feeling of good governance to the people by the means of an efficient, honest and unbiased bureaucratic mechanism in general, and through the help of a harmonized, coordinated and interactive superior-subordinate relationship in particular.

Last but not the least is the issue of political stability and peace and security with which all efforts of economic development are strongly associated. Whatever the positive attributes and characteristics of a political system followed by a country, whatever the policies and programs formulated in the area of poverty alleviation or liberalization or industrialization, and whatever the motives and changes brought about in a bureaucratic system, economic development is not possible without political stability. An investment friendly environment can be created only when there is political stability and security within the country.