Dual policy at home and abroad

By DR SHREEDHAR GAUTAM

Some days ago the Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, while responding to the debate in the parliament over the Iraq issue, said India would follow a middle path, that is, neither active nor passive policy. He meant that India would oppose unilateral military action on Iraq but would support if endorsed by the UN. He could not say categorically that war on Iraq would be unjustified whether unilateral or multilateral. Similarly, Pakistan professes to be safeguarding Muslim interest, but it allows US forces on its soil. Iraq is facing imminent danger of human catastrophe because of the dualistic policies of many countries, including Russia, France and China. If these countries had adopted a tough line in the UN, America would never have dared to introduce the 1441 resolution earlier. Now Anglo-American alliance is going to press for second resolution to give Iraq just 10 days’ ultimatum to disarm it or face the consequence. America still thinks that it can muster majority votes in the Security Council, if not the majority of the permanent members.

It is more than clear that the US was not interested in the peaceful solution to the so-called Iraq crisis and its focus was on the forceful overthrow of the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. However, the three permanent members France, Russia and China, behaved in such a way as if they had the full faith in the sincerity of American politics, especially in America’s version to see Iraq disarmed peacefully. Of course, we appreciate Russia, France and China’s stand on Iraq issue and their firm opposition to the imminent US led war. However, they have failed to point out the root cause of Iraq crisis. If there is any crisis, it is not because of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but because of the superpower’ obsession with a man who is not ready to placate the western world at the cost of his country’s independence and sovereignty. Now, by opposing American unilateral action, the three permanent members are simply trying to show that they are alive, if not assertive. Their voice against the only superpower should have come much earlier when America had showed its real intention in the disguise of disarming Iraq.

America had been emboldened by China’s absence during the crucial vote for the authorisation of force against Iraq by the UN in 1990. China showed neutrality by voting neither against nor in favour of the resolution. Right thinking analysts term China’s stand in 1990 as the most unbecoming and immoral one. Moreover, China still has not abandoned the socialistic path, at least in name. Therefore, people expected it to vote against the resolution when Russia and France voted along the US line. France showed dualistic policy first by voting in favour of using force, and later abandoning its earlier policy of not bombing Iraqi cities and confining to Kuwait to pressurize the vacation of the country by the Iraqi forces. Later France succumbed to superpower’s pressure and participated in the bombing of Iraqi cities mercilessly. France, Russia and China’s dualistic policies have cost the humanity a lot. Now too, if they succumb to the earlier type pressure, the suffering of humanity will be beyond measurement.

Neutrality in politics becomes dangerous, also at the national level. If we look at our national politics, we will realize that we have suffered a lot because of the neutral path taken by certain political leaders. For instance, since the days of his accession to power, Girija Prasad Koirala was growing more and more authoritative, disregarding all constitutional norms and values. He could have been checkmated appropriately if the other Congress leaders had shown courage to expose his anti democratic stance in the party affairs as well as in the governance. He humiliated Krishna Prasad Bhattarati several times for personal sake and was instrumental in his defeat in the first general election. However, the politicians like Ram Chandra Paudel, late Mahendra Narayan Nidhi and Sher Bahadur Deuba trod the middle path and did not come out openly against Koirala’s design to disturb party and the democratic experiment. Sometimes, revolt is necessary in a political party when it diverts from the declared policy. One of the reasons why Nepali Congress has become so weak in the present context is its contradictory policies. Ironically, Koirala, who breached all the norms of political sincerity, has now become the Champion of the revival of democracy. Middle path walkers like Ram Chandra Paudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba missed opportunity by not siding with Bhattarai, when Koirala unceremoniously threw the old man out of the office. . He used the same old man to win the election in the last general election, but from the next day of Bhattarai as Prime Minister, he started ‘Bhattarai Hatao’ campaign. Such a gross violation of democratic norm was not effectively opposed and blocked by the middle path politicians like Ram Chandra Paudel for safeguarding their personal position at the cost of party and democracy.

Like in Nepali Congress, the UML is also the victim of dualistic politics. The proponent of people’s multi party democracy, the late Madam Bhandari, became the first casualty of the dualistic policy. He could not see the contradiction in his politics and adopted the suicidal policy of championing for communism without disturbing the existing social set-up. After his death, leaders like Bam Dev Gautam and Jhala Nath Khanal have followed the legacy of dualistic policy. They are middle path walkers and so always opt for the safe position for them in any future set up that emerges out. For instance, Gautam broke rank with UML with great fanfare, but his party ML failed miserably because neither he could present different philosophy than UML nor could he show political sincerity in the last general election. He tried to grab votes of the Maoists by exhibiting artificial sympathy. Now he is back to UML and his political reliability is at low ebb. Jhal Nath Khanal, one of the finest voices in the UML, is a capable man, and an almost flawlessly engaging politician. However, he too has failed to expose party leaderships’ anti-people policies fearing the loss of his own position in the party apparatus.

In fact, Nepal’s politics is in perpetual quagmire because of dual character. There are signs of possible substantial talk between the government and the Maoists, but there is little likelihood of emerging out any clear future picture for the nation’s development. Neither the government nor the Maoists are free from their dualistic politics. The government has neither the political will nor the competence to solve vexed problems of the nation. The Maoists too have to clarify the rationality behind the strategy of an all out war abruptly, and then becoming restless for dialogue without achieving any objective of their declared goal. They have to prove the logic behind their strategy of waging "people’s war" isolating the party from the common people and the like-minded left leaning forces. If they believe in dialectical materialism, they cannot escape without clarifying their dual
character. We hope the nation will no more become the victim of dualistic politics.

Fleeting affinity

By Guneshwor Ojha

Until a night a few days ago, I was unaware of myself gradually changing into a machine as a gift of modern science. This must be taking place ever since I landed in this metropolitan city six years ago.

Thanks to the unforgettable incident that night, I have realised that pure love still lurks in a corner of my heart.

Though I had heard the unconditional love many a times, I had not experienced it. I had not been able to fill my heart with virtues such as kindness, gratitude, compassion, pure love and positive thoughts.

Until then, my heart did not melt at the plight of the poor, the disabled and at the sight of others in a sorry state. Running after my personal needs, dreaming about power, prestige and luxury—the gifts of science—I had lost kindness, sympathy and the courage to help the needy.

Stories of Mother Teresa did not stir my heart. Science had robbed almost all human virtues from me even before I knew that I was submitting those to the blind master.

However, that night, a miracle happened, which filled me with exotic joy to discover that unconditional love existed somewhere in my heart, but I am equally sad that I lack courage to live with it and enjoy the heavenly pleasure of that love.

It was around 10 o’clock at night when I left for my residence from office. Although the road is not fully lit, I am used to walking on it comfortably.

On the way, I saw a small calf standing on the road. A motorbike was heading towards us from far behind and perhaps frightened by its sound, the calf started following me.

The calf seemed to be separated from its mother recently and was apparently longing for warmth in a cold night. Soon the bike passed along but the walking sound of the calf drew my attention and the memory stretched to my village where we adored such calves when we were kids. While their mother cows went to graze in the jungle, the calves stayed with us under the shade of a tree and we patted and caressed them.

Suddenly, I stopped, caressed and patted the calf. That gave me an immense pleasure. Oh! all of a sudden, I developed strong affection for the calf! Since I had to go, I moved on, and so did the calf. On the way, I stopped twice or thrice to share my love with the calf. Again, I patted and caressed it. Soon, I reached my residence and stopped to press the doorbell.

How I wished to be the mother of the innocent calf so that I could give protection to it throughout the cold night! Once more, I went to share my feelings with the calf, my new friend, but it turned away and melted into the darkness.

Yes, the calf defeated me and my pride demonstrating well that animals, too, have sense (and are perhaps, far better than a modern man!). It must have left thinking that I would no more be with him as the door was opened for me to be in the comfort of the gifts of modern science. A thought of running to the calf and feeding it. But as soon as the door opened, the thought vanished. I was ushered in. Soon I became the slave of modern science and a flash of divinity in me vanished, leaving the memory blended with pleasure and pain.

Indian income tax made simple

By RUP KHADKA 

"Income Tax the most difficult thing upon Earth to understand". This is what the famous scientist Albert Einstein had observed many years ago and recently quoted by Indian Finance Minister Jaswant Singh in his Budget Speech of the fiscal year 2003/04, which was presented to the parliament on February 28, 2003.

While income tax is relatively more complicated than other taxes, if not the most difficult thing to understand, it can be made simpler if the policymakers and administrators want to. Simplification can be introduced through policy changes, legal changes, structural changes, procedural changes and changes in the mentality.

The Indian Finance Minister in his 2003/04 budget has focussed most on the administrative simplification. He has introduced following administrative measures in order to make the Indian income tax system simple.

Since taxpayers hesitate to go to tax offices and since some of the tax functions could be handled more efficiently by other organizations than the tax administration itself, the Indian Finance Minister has proposed to out-source non-core activities of income tax department, including allotment of permanent account number (PAN) and creation of data bank.

There is also a trend around the world to reduce the number of forms to be completed by taxpayers while complying with various taxes. For example, in Nepal a one page simple return form has been adopted under the value-added tax in place of many complicated forms prescribed under the previous sales tax system. Such a move is intended to reduce the compliance costs of the taxpayers and administrative costs of the government. To this end, the Indian Finance Minister has proposed to reduce the number of income tax form presently used in furnishing of applications, returns, collection, tax deduction at source (TDS) etc. from 42 to 22. Similarly, a one page only return form was introduced for individual taxpayers, having income from salary, house property and interest.

There has been an increasing use of information technology in the tax administration around the world since it facilitates day-to-day administration, reduces contact between taxpayers and tax collectors, and enhances transparency. The Indian income tax law has been amended to make electronic filing returns possible. Similarly, direct crediting of all refunds to the bank account of the taxpayer, through electronic clearance system, has been introduced.

Modern income tax is assessed under the self-assessment system. Under this system, tax is assessed by the taxpayer himself, which is final unless and until it is challenged by the tax officials as a result of audit. Tax audit system needs to be designed properly in order to reduce the scope of collusion or corruption and potential revenue loss. As in many other developing countries, tax audit has been disputable in India, where until now, returns for scrutiny are being selected on the basis of tax officer’s discretion. This system has been abolished and a system of random selection of 2 percent of the returns annually on the basis of the computer generated intelligence has been introduced in order to make audit impartial and effective.

Such a scientific system of selection of taxpayers for audit may be relevant for Nepal, where audit has been controversial. A proper and an effective system audit is most necessary in order to make any self-assessment system successful. In Nepal, performance of audit is poor in terms of both the quality and quantity. On the one hand, taxpayers consider that they are being harassed by tax audit, on the other, the government does not get much revenue as a result of audit. So reform of audits needs an immediate attention in Nepal.

The Indian Finance Minister also has proposed to expand taxpayer service, which is considered very important in order to enhance the level of taxpayers’ compliance. On the other hand, the system of income tax clearance certificate has been abolished since it is considered as a traditional way of collecting tax.

Together with these administrative measures, a number of other changes have been introduced in the income tax system in India through the 2003/04 Budget. For example, the surcharge of 5 percent levied on corporate assesses, firms, foreign companies, corporations and local authorities has been abolished. It has also been done away with in case of individuals having an income up to Rs 8.50 lakhs while it has been increased to 10 percent on income above Rs 8.50 lakh.

Similarly, for salary income up to Rs 5 lakhs, the standard deductions has been increased to 40 percent of salary or Rs 30,000, whichever is less. It will be Rs 20,000 for salary income above Rs 5 lakhs. Further, allowances for senior citizens have been increased. For example, pensioner-having income up to Rs 1.83 lakhs, including standard deduction will be exempt from income tax.

The Finance Minister has also proposed a deduction of Rs 50,000 for permanent physical disability and Rs 75,000 for sever disability under the income tax. Similarly, education expenses up to Rs 12,000 per child for two children will be made eligible for rebate under the income tax.

In order to encourage voluntary retirement scheme voluntary retirement payment up to Rs 5 lakhs will be exempted even when paid in installments.

The rate of deprecation for the life saving medical equipment has been increased from 25 percent to 40 percent.

Long-term capital gains tax on listed securities has been abolished. Similarly, dividend tax has been modified into a dividend distribution tax, which will be levied at the rate of 12.5 percent on domestic companies.

Int’l arms dealers eyeing Nepal

Tilak P Pokharel

Jean Bernard Lasnaud is an international arms dealer who brokers sales of tanks, rocket launchers and even Scud missiles from South Florida in the United States. With the proper end-user certificate, one can order a fighter plane or a field hospital from Lasnaud’s website. Despite nearly three-year long arrest requests from Argentinean jurists, US authorities have allowed him to live peacefully.

Like Lasnaud, Lebanese citizen Sarkis Soghanalian is another major player in the international arms trade – both of them receiving pat from the US. With more than 40 years of experience and billions of dollars in brokered deals, Soghanalian insists that all his deals - whether they were with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq or rebels in Central America – were done with the approval of the US government, according to a web portal on international arms deal.

Even more significant thing is – though Soghanalian was based in the US for two decades and many of his deals being in violation of US endorsed embargos, he did not have to undergo arrests and prosecution until after the Persian Gulf war when he was jailed. At that time, he made ‘accommodations’ with US law enforcement that led to his early release. Soghanalian represents a powerful but complex cautionary tale about the danger inherent in the international traffic in weapons, and the way in which this activity can backfire on the arms deal and the United States.

Especially after the Second World War, arms deals – basically that of the small and light weaponry – became one of the most prosperous businesses across the world. One of the major reasons behind such arms deals gaining profit is increasing civil wars in many countries. But the irony is that the US is playing major role by flaring up civil wars and insurgencies, which have become common phenomenon of the developing and third world countries, by supporting and backing one of the warring parties – sometimes opponents and most of the times the state. In case of Nepal, the US is backing the government, while the US was backing opponents in the Taliban era in Afghanistan.

Although arms exports have become one of the major businesses of the US, it takes major concern in the world’s civil wars and insurgencies; and has virtually become enthusiastic arms merchant to the world. According to Anna Rich, an arms expert, since the demise of the Soviet Union, the US has dominated the global arms market. During 1994, the US exported $67.3 billion worth of armaments – 55 percent of the global arms exports. Of the 24 countries, which experienced at least one major armed conflict until 1997 of the last decade of the twentieth century, the US sold arms or provided military support to 21.

With the changing trend in use of arms, low-tech, handheld weapons and explosives are used in most of the cases of murders in today’s world. Sales of advanced weaponry - fighter jets and high-tech electronics, sophisticated long-range artillery and warships, and weapons of mass destruction - tend to receive the most press coverage. But these costly, sophisticated weapons have not proved as deadly as ordinary guns and grenades that are easy to buy, easy to ship and easy to use. As per the deal hammered out by the Sher Bahadur Deuba government last year, 500 small Minimi machine guns, as the first consignment of the deal of 5,500 sets, have arrived from Belgium. Likewise, at least two night vision helicopters, non-combatant helicopters, arms and military hardware have entered into this impoverished country from various countries including the United States, United Kingdom, India and Russia, among others.

With the Maoist insurgency and the counter-insurgency drives both gaining strength in Nepal, deadly international arms dealers such as Lasnaud and Soghanalian, who have international backing, might be eyeing Nepal as fertile soil for their businesses. And their wishes could be fulfilled if we have the leader like Sher Bahadur Deuba who went ahead with many myopic arms deals during his tenure. Due to his shortsightedness, now the arms have started coming after his collapse from power, and at a time when the truce has been declared from both the warring sides. Apart from the deals, which have come to the media, we cannot rule out other secret deals the government has made. Whatever justifications and reasons the arms dealers give (‘curbing terrorism’ has been the reason behind the inflow of weaponry into Nepal) while ‘legally’ selling armaments and military hardware to a state, they are simply after profit and we cannot deny that they are supplying the same to the rebelling organisations through ‘illegal’ channels, from which certain share of profits reaches to them.

Deuba was following the footsteps of US President George W Bush who sees military solution as the only resort to solve problems emerging out of discontent and injustice. Deuba’s failure was imminent largely because of following the Bush Path. Let’s hope that the present PM Lokendra Bahadur Chand doesn’t follow the Deuba or Dubyman suit and committedly strives for solving the problem through negotiations. Otherwise, the Nepalis will lose and the global arms traders will benefit, with foreign helicopters and planes with arms and ammunition ruling our skies.

Foolish US gamble on North Korea

DISLP DPDER

We should take a hard look at the Bush administration’s gamble on the Korean peninsula. For only gamblers can hope that the crisis generated by North Korea’s Stalinist dictator Kim Jong Il will go away by itself.

Kim, who has announced intentions to go nuclear, sees himself in a strong position. The United States is distracted by Iraq while Kim is, in effect, holding hostage about 37,000 US troops stationed in South Korea.

In such situations, the first step is always to engage the hostage-takers and get them talking before it’s too late. It’s common sense. In this case, the de facto hostage-taker is demanding face-to-face talks with the Americans about a non-aggression pact and the Bush administration is refusing to sit down with the man it describes as a crazed tyrant. The refusal is couched in high moral principles: The United States won’t give in to blackmail.

Rebuffed, Kim has issued more lunacy-edged threats that focus on one thing he knows the United States fears most: that he will develop nuclear bombs within months. Kim has medium-range ballistic missiles and two nuclear bombs, according to CIA projections. Once he has a few more, North Korea will have crossed something of a magic threshold and become more or less immune to military strikes.

Kim has punctured a huge hole in the president’s ‘doctrine’ of pre-emption by showing other smaller nations that strength and safety lies in building a nuclear deterrent. (North Korea is believed to possess chemical and biological weapons as well and has a powerful army.)

What’s more, Kim will have valuable weapons to sell to rogue states and perhaps international terrorists with access to large amounts of money. (Of all the reasons the Bush administration has put forward for the invasion of Iraq, Kim’s behaviour is perhaps the most valid one-better to defang Saddam Hussein before he acquires a few nuclear bombs.)

The Bush administration had insisted that the North Korean situation can be resolved through diplomacy but without dealing directly with Kim. This is something of a non-starter that Washington still clings to while the clock tick-tocks down the months before Kim’s arsenal may be sharply expanded.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s recent visit to the Far East is something of a halfway measure. He spoke with the leaders of Japan, China and South Korea in a bid to work out a common policy toward North Korea. That’s hardly a cakewalk. North Korea’s neighbours -China, Russia, South Korea and Japan- want the United States to give Kim what the seemingly demented dictator has asked for: direct talks.

Kim’s main demand is that the United States pledge not to attack North Korea, a non-aggression treaty. This request is not as crazy as the Bush administration’s spin artists want us to believe. Bush has included North Korea in the ‘axis of evil,’ and Kim, watching US preparations to attack Iraq, might be excused for believing he might be next on the US hit list.

Kim also wants money and aid. His impoverished country is perpetually on the verge of starvation and weaponry is only cash crop.

It’s wrong for the Bush administration to be coy or macho. The resumption of food donations to North Korea is a welcome gesture, but is no more than that. What is required is common sense to pursue the main objective: Get Kim to drop his nuclear ambitions.

President Clinton did it in 1994. He worked out a deal in which North Korea froze its plutonium-processing nuclear reactor in return for an energy-but-not-weapons-produScing reactor-plus oil, food and UN inspectors at nuclear facilities. The arrangement was far from perfect- and North Korea cheated anyway- but without it, Kim might long ago have had a larger nuclear arsenal.

The Bush administration distanced itself from the Clinton deal. Its visceral horror at returning to Clinton policies explains, at least in part, its apparent inability to effectively deal with the North Korean crisis.

The administration should take the hostage-negotiator approach to stabilise and slow down the crisis. It needs to overwhelm Kim with diplomacy, both with the United States alone and with the four regional players. That’s not giving in to blackmail- it is smart diplomacy. By talking, Washington can probe for what the North Koreans really want and take steps to stop their nuclear weapons development.

This could be a first step to more creative long-term solutions on the peninsula.

(LA Times-Washington Post)

Clueless captaincy

P N Nepal

In the opening match of the World Cup 2003 in South Africa, West Indies elected to batted first against host South Africa. With some initial hasSri Lankae and Sri Lankaow scoring, they made a good score of 278 runs due to sensible batting by Brian Lara and lusty hitting towards the end by Shivanarine Chanderpaul, Recardo Powell and Ramnaresh Sarvan. They defended the score with some difficulty and beat South Africa by three runs.

In the second match, Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand also by batting first. The result of these two matches clearly indicated that condition was suited for batting first rather than chasing when two teams of almost equal potential were pitted against each other.

In the next match against New Zealand, West Indies once again won the important toss but opted to field first. This was against the earlier trend. No surprise, they lost to New Zealand by a fair margin. It was difficult to understand on what basis and reasoning did West Indies captain Carl Hooper put New Zealand to bat first. Perhaps it was nothing except clueless captaincy on the part skipper, which deprived his team from a place in the next round - Super Six.

Sri Lanka, after winning the toss, batted first and defeated New Zealand by 47 runs. In their second and third match, they won the toss but asked Bangladesh and Canada respectively to bat first. Needless to mention, Sri Lanka defeated them without any difficulties. With relatively weaker team, if any team bat first, it will bat full quota of 50 overs; but if it puts opponents in, perhaps the match would be over within 25 or 30 overs altogether. That was what precisely happened in those matches and what Sri Lanka missed dearly was the opportunity to test their middle order batting, which was and is still very brittle.

As that was not enough, Sri Lanka asked Kenya to bat first when they again won the toss. A great pity, they could not chase a modest score of about 230 runs as they lack the enough match practice. In the next two matches with West Indies and South Africa, they won the toss for the consecutive fifth and sixth time, batted first and defeated Hooper’s team and were able to tie with the host.

In the Super Six, Sri Lanka lost the toss against Australia and was forced to field first. Australia made a huge score, which Sri Lanka could not chase and lost by a big margin. In their second match with India, once again they won the toss but surprisingly put India to bat. Foregone conclusion, they were defeated badly, as they could not chase a big score. Why is Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuria repeatedly asking other to bat first going against the trend? The decision becomes more curious when it was seen that he has been winning batting first, but not been able to chase.

Both form of cricket- One-Day International or Test- is all about batting, as cricket is a sport dominated by batsmen not by bowlers. We can compare two earlier matches; Sri Lanka v Canada and Holland v Namibia. Sri Lanka bowlers performed exceptionally well and dismissed Canada for 34 runs. The match was over within an hour. Whereas Holland made a huge score of 314 runs, which Canada replied spiritedly and the match was plaid for its full quota of 100 overs. Which match the spectators could have enjoyed more?

Certainly the second or the match dominated by batsmen. The fans expect huge scores, with sixes and fours. If a captain has faith and confidence on his batsmen and bowlers, he must certainly choose bat first barring exceptions of pitch and weather conditions. Perhaps it was lack of confidence or clueless captaincy of Sri Lanka skipper Jayasuria, which eventually may cost Sri Lanka a place in the semi-final.

Child brides, dark lives

SULTANA RAHMAN

Shahela, a 15-year-old mother, is fighting for her life after a failed suicide attempt at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. She tried to set herself on fire. "I don’t want to live anymore. My husband and in-laws regularly torture me for giving birth to a sick child," says Shahela, a resident of Noakhali who was forced to marry a man three times older than her when she was barely 13. The doctors are unsure whether she will survive.

Shahela’s father, a poor farmer, knew well that his daughter was underage and child marriage is banned in Bangladesh. "My daughter was good looking. Young men of the village had started teasing her. I was worried about her security. My neighbours suggested I marry her off," says Idris Ali, sitting next to his daughter’s bed in the hospital. After marriage, Shahela became pregnant. But as she was malnourished, her child was born underweight and is often sick. 

In Bangladesh, marriage of under-18 girls is illegal. Having sexual relations with a child is a punishable offence in the country but as the girls are married, the culprits (husbands) are not punished. In fact, to date, no arrests have been made for this offence.

According to UNICEF data, five per cent of the 10 to 14-year-olds and four per cent of the 15 to 19-year-olds are married in Bangladesh. According to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, more than half the under-19 girls are married and 58 per cent have already become mothers or are pregnant.

The ministry has started a special motivation programme to make people realise the damage child marriages can cause. The main aim of the programme is to encourage parents to delay their daughter’s marriage until the age of 20. However, the programme has reported little success.

Lawyers like Tania Ameer believe the 73-year-old law on child marriage needs to be updated. "It’s a landmark law. But it has proved ineffective to check child marriage." According to Ameer, most parents in Bangladesh are still unaware of the law. Besides, in many cases, the girls’ age cannot be verified for lack of birth certificates.

Another alarming fact is that a considerable number of marriages in rural areas are not registered. The families just call a priest who conducts the marriage in the village. Such marriages never reach the government’s record books.

"Child marriage amounts to human rights violation. Many girls are forced to cut short their studies after marriage. This is an obstacle to their self reliance," says Sultana Kamal, director of Ain-o-Shalish Kendra, an NGO working on the issue.

(Women’s Feature Service)

New avatars of young migrants

SHIVA RIJAL

Bal Krishna Sama, the great playwright, in his famous play Mukunda Indira written in the forties of the last century, sends Bhavadeva to fetch a young protagonist of the play Mukunda back home from Calcutta. Mukunda has gone to Calcutta, the centre of fashion, education and modernity in the early colonial times, to study. His parents at home are worried about him because they have sensed somehow that he has taken to debauchery. They have sent him there to study so that he would become a good son and citizen. Perhaps, he would work with all the skills that he would have acquired if he had taken the right path of education and become a loyal subject to the Ranas. Above all, he would look after his parents and run his family with his wife Indira. But he does not have any interest in coming to Patan, the place he belongs to. He is drawn into the metropolitan culture of Calcutta, the first modern and western city avatar in the region.

Sama saw, in this youth, a great theme for a play. His desire to put this deviant youth on the stage before the Kathmandu audience of that time is significant and can be interpreted in many ways. One obvious thing was that by criticising Mukunda, he wanted to encourage youth to behave in a right way. It was the time when most of his audience probably did not like their children to learn and speak English language, a foreign culture. Sama in this play did address the psyche of the people of his time and region.

Bhavadeva, who is presented as a ‘true’ Nepali guardian, is successful in bringing Mukunda back home by giving him a chance to test his wife, Indira’s fidelity. This young Nepali Romeo finally finds Indira an innocent and trustworthy wife. He feels guilty and realises that what he had perceived about life, family, education and his wife were all wrong. He now changes himself. In this manner, his rebellion or anarchist impulse and his western sense of individuality come to an end. By the time the play ends, he is no longer a spoilt boy but a good Nepali son, and we are left believing that he would be a good husband as well. The audience thanks Bhavadeva for making Mukunda realise the cultural and moral values of the society to which he belongs.

Today’s Bhavadevas do not go out to fetch the Mukundas, who languish in the big cities of America, Europe, Japan and India, back home. Why don’t they like to do so? Two reasons: young men who go to the big cities of the above mentioned countries are economic migrants. They do not have time and money to think about themselves and their origin as Mukunda does by referring to Darwin’s theory of revolution. They work day and night, and earn some money to send to their families. The money sent by the youth has saved the ailing economy of the internally-war-ravaged country in recent years.

Youths’ migration patterns have always been the same in Nepal’s history. There are two streams of migrations: Lahure migration and educational migration. The traditional Lahure migration is perhaps maintained by the economic migrants of the youths who go to the Gulf countries, Japan, America and India. The number of Lahure migrants is increasing day by day and their destination has been getting wider and wider too. But the traditional Lahures had some smartness and certain personality to attract the attention of his relatives and friends and the eyes of tarunis, who would wait for them for years. The proof is seen in their folk songs about the Lahures. Their songs tell about their fashions, their dresses, and their speech, their body styles and handkerchiefs. To become the Lahures was a very romantic achievement. There were so many things to say and show off to the people who would wait for them to come back to home during Dashain and other similar occasions.

But today’s Lahures do not have any face to project. They do not have anything to show off to the people; neither do they want to do so nor do they want to test the fidelity of their Indiras. They do not need any Bhavadevas to remind them about their bitter reality. They do not fascinate lasses much either. But they have one very important thing to show: it is the myth of money that they make by working in big cities abroad. Every time they come to their places, the myth gets narrated innumerable times. And the myth attracts many other youth.

The stories that filter down here do not tell about their bravery but about their being arrested by the police in an alien land, and their being put to jails on many false charges. The traditional image of Lahures has undergone drastic changes. We have been reading about many painful cases that the youth have been going through in foreign land. Their forefathers had never undergone these sufferings. Many of the youth have been punished for the crimes they have not committed.

But the legend about the money continues to attract more and more youth. Whenever I pass through the narrow street at Lazimpat everyday, I see a large crowd of youth waiting to apply and send their papers abroad. Today’s Bhavadevas have become the agents of manpower supply. They too have been much lured by the myth of money making.

The second stream of youth migration is educational. It has continued to attract them. Their parents too assist them in this process. They are the modern avatars of Mukundas’ parents who help Mukundas to go to foreign cities where they either become successful in education or fail. But, in any condition, no Bhavadeva goes to fetch them back. Again, they have no time to think because if they fail in gaining education, they change easily into a modern avatar of Lahures and become economic migrants. Some stay on with this easy shifting process and others combine both work and study. All the youth, whichever pattern they belong to, should be considered the most lovable and respectable Mukundas who have been giving sustaining the country’s economy.

Through dedication, hard work and love for education, these Nepalis are changing the pace of history of this nation.