Municipal Governance
Exemplary Exercise

By Mukti Rijal

IT IS a Ward committee office of the Lekhnath Municipality at Sisuwa very close to the Begnas Lake. Mr Harsha Bahadur Shrestha is the chairman of the Ward Committee and he frequents to the office now and then. Together with the Ward Committee Office, a local youth club and post office are put up. It is surrounded by a busy locality with a hemline of tea stalls, stationers and groceries. It is a typical Nepali settlement with some of the urban features. Its setting and natural charm are bounteous.

Training

The ward committee office provides space for a training organised by Sristi-an organisation working for empowering elected women councilors and social activities.

The Lakhnath Municipality hosts the training as co-sponsor. The women councilors elected to ward committees of the Lekhnath municipality are not a simple lot. They are different from the women representatives elected to many of local government institutions in the sense that they know about what they should do as the elected trustees of the people. They can define their developmental needs very well and contextualise them properly. In a brainstorming exercise they define development in holistic sense, not in segmental or narrowed sectoral confine. Not only physical infrastructure, development for them is human capability-an absence of human deprivation.

One of the woman councilors says "for development, peace and security are an imperative."

Development is a guarantee to live in peace and security. A woman councilor insists that development is impossible without people’s inquisitiveness to advance questioning statusquoism. Another woman participant stresses development can occur only when social capital (Samajik Puja) is allowed to grow through conducive environment.

"We have given priority to consciousness building of women councilors" informs Shaligram Poudel mayor of the Lekhnath municipality. "We hold meetings for all the women councilors of the fifteen ward committees, every month and discuss about their needs and priorities," adds the mayor.

Moreover, the municipality organises training for women councilors very often and nominates them in turn when opportunities for trainings are available. "We have participated in several training events thanks to the initiatives of the municipality, says Mrs Kaushila Adhikari," a ward committee member.

"Ward Committee in Lekhnath Municipality are being strengthened. It is an important emphasis of a new municipality created just three years ago. Each ward committee is provided with a secretary. The municipality sponsors trainings for ward committee secretaries so that they can handle their tasks efficiently," says the erudite and soft spoken mayor.

The wards are being developed as working unit. The ward committee members are assigned responsibilities specific to their interest and areas. Not only the functions but settlements are divided to each ward committee members so that each of them have to look after as a matter of their duty and obligation. This contrasts with the working approach of several other municipalities in the Kingdom. The ward committee carry out some of the regulatory functions but not the development related functions whereas in the Lekhnath municipality the Mayor has a vision of empowering Ward Committee as real functional unit. "This will take the municipality closer to the people," says the mayor.

The Ward Committee Office of the municipality contains all the informations relating to the services offered by the municipality. In order that the administration and service provisions are transparent all informations and requirements are made public to alleviate hassles of the people. Even notices issued by the government that are relevant to the people are pasted in the notice board of the Ward Committee office. This is imported for the local government to ensure that people get services and needed responses at their neighbourhood.

Lekhnath municipality is full of beautiful natural domains. Rivers, lakes, diverse vegetation and unique landforms are features of the municipality. The conservation and development plan of the municipality has been prepared in cooperation with IUCN-World Conservation Union-Nepal. Altogether fifty one projects have been proposed under the conservation and development plan. The projects include waste management plan, ecozoning of wetland sites, construction of public toilets, demarcation of lake area and buffer zones, development of bylaws and their implementation and so on. The municipality is poor in terms of capital resources. Though it is trying to raise its revenue volume, it is not that easy. Octroi and vehicles taxes are scrapped by the Local Self Governance Act. The Act has given several taxation options including the integrated land and property tax. But it is not possible for the municipality to harness the tax or it lacks adequate data base, among others.

Garden city

The mayor envisions to develop the municipality as a garden city of seven lakes. He has plans at hand to develop it as a model municipality. But the crux lies whether he will be able to mobilise support for the same before the beautiful municipality in the Pokhara valley is spoiled and defiled.

Joys Of Dashain

By Arun Ranjit

DASHAIN, one of the greatest festivals observed by the Nepalese and all the Hindus of the world usually takes place in the month of Aswin (mid-September to mid-October).

Long Duration

It is Nepal’s most lavishly celebrated festival of the longest duration which lasts for fifteen days beginning from Ghatasthapana.

It is a holiday when families unite to exchange blessings and gifts, to spread goodwill and to forget feuds and quarrels.

The seasonal song Malshree is sung during this festival and is the harbinger that also carries the message of the coming of this festival to the people.

House cleaning, decoration and making new clothes is the general phenomena throughout the length and breadth of the country. People pouring to buy their necessities for the festival make the towns vivacious and markets are brisk with the rural and urban folk making the streets narrow.

Children look forward to this festival as they are given new dresses and shoes and fed with delicious dishes.

Flying kites is another aspect. The kite in the air is supposed to be signal for Indra— the God of rain, to stop the monsoon showers as the ripening crops near harvest time. The days of Dashain festival are thus ensured of remaining bright and sunny.

Because with the approach of Dashain, the minds of the people swing with hilarity in the soothing and gentle breeze of the season, enjoy themselves as they move to and from in the sky for the swings in the outskirts of the towns and in the countryside.

On the first day of the bright half of the month, people sow seeds of barley on sandy soil brought from the bed of holy rivers and the Goddess Durga known as Durga Bhawani is invoked and worshipped. This day is known as Ghatasthapana.

Each day members of the family sprinkle the seeds in the sand with holy water. After ten days growing secluded from the light, the yellow seedlings, are spouted upto four or five inches. A blessing from Durga, the yellow jamara plant is worn behind the ear or tied into the hair after receiving Tika.

With the start of this festival, Nawaratri (nine nights) is fervently observed by the people from Ghatasthapana to Nawami—the ninth day of the festival visiting temples and holy streams early in the morning following the musical troops.

On the seventh day known as Fulpati, a special kind of receptacle— "kalas" filled with wild flowers and holy leaves brought from the ancestral Royal Palace in Gorkha, West Nepal and will be set up in "Dashain Ghar" in Hanumandhoka.

Next day, the eighth day of Dashain, Newari people will have a feast of rice-flakes measuring quarter is called Kuchhi Bhoe is known as the Maha-astami.

Before the day of Nawami— the ninth day, at about mid-night (Kalratri—the black night) of eighth day 108 he-buffaloes are offered in the inner court at Hanumandhoka symbolising the slaughter of the demon Mahisasur. People also sacrifice he-buffaloes, goats, sheeps, chickens and ducks at Durga temples.

Blood from the slain animals is sprinkled on images of Goddess Durga, and on vehicles even airplanes-to prevent accidents believing that the sacrificed animals gain merit and are reincarnated as humans.

The Newars—Kathmandu’s predominant ethnic group—call this day as Syako Tyako, meaning the "more you kill, the more you gain".

On this day the worship of all the equipment and machinery are also carried out as Viswokarma (the God of art) with the hopes of professional success.

On this day alone, Taleju temple situated inside Kathmandu Durbar suqare is open for public.

This festival also brings the re-union of the split families as they take the feast together and giving the head, limbs and parts of the sacrificed animal’s to the members of the family accordingly to the seniority of age. This is known as "Seekabu Yaegu" that make members feeling hilarious forgetting all the differences of high and low, rich and poor.

According to the legendary there are vicious conception about how the Dashain begins. According to the Ramayan epic, Sita (the consort of God Ram) accompanied Ram during his exile into the jungle for 14 years, was kidnapped by Ravan—the ten-headed demon king of Lanka.

Ram prayed Goddess Durga and on the eighth day mid-night Goddess Durga appeared before him because she was very much pleased with the penance "tapasya" of Ram. She gave him the blessing to fulfill his desire of killing Ravan and got victory. Thus, this day is called the day of god’s victory over the evil.

Another conception follows from the slaughter of the demon Mahisasur by the Goddess Durga. Mahisasur was granted a boon of no males could overpower him after pleasing Lord Shiva after hundred years of penance. Possessed with this invincible power Mahisasur created troubles over the universe. So all the gods approached the trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwor) for its redress, thereupon the three supreme gods emitted the radiance of a hundred suns from their eyes and from their bodies emanated multi-coloured flames. A very beautiful woman— Durga, having multi arms, emerged from these flames with exceptional powers and weapons bestowed on her. Mounted on a tiger, Durga set out to annihilate the troubles created by Mahisasur by smashing him to death on kalratri night and save the universe.

To speak in the spiritual language, the fight is nothing but the symbolism of the victory over the evil forces.

On this day people go to their superiors to have "Tika" (mixed of red vermilion with a sandle paste, rice and curd mixed) from them along the barley plants called "Jamara"

On this day government officials as well as others go to the Royal Palace to have Tika from His Majesty the King.

On the following day relatives are invited to dinner. The day concludes with more dancing, the Khadga Jatra or sword processions in the night through the streets of down town Kathmandu.

Expectation

The last day of Dashain, known as Kojagrat Purnima, falls on the full moon. As this festival ends daily life resumes with gained fortitude and expectations of success and good health. Dashain, indeed is a propitious time for all.

Social Life Under Rana Regime-3

By Guna Dev Bhattarai

JUDDHA Shumshere tried to eradicate the social evils pervading in the country then. Accordingly the government fixed the marriageable age for the bride and bridegroom. A girl below 14 years of age and a boy below 18 were not allowed to marry. Nevertheless the Brahmin community would get their daughters aged below 12 or so married. Further the government discouraged the practice of dowry and the like. Juddha Shumshere asked the Newar community not to lavishly spend money on the marriage ceremony and other social and religious functions.

Juddha Shumshere used to see white skinned guests in a separate room where only chairs and tables were kept. After shaking hands with them he would not touch any part of his body with the hand. After the departure of those guests he would have a bath to make himself pure. Padma Shumshere though inclined to grant some political rights to the people did not like to bring about any change in the prevailing social system. Mohan Shamshere proved himself to be an avowed Hindu. He would pass many hours in his worshipping room. Once Chandra Shumshere told Mohan not to pass many hours in the worshipping room but to stress much importance on the stately affairs. He had even prophesied that, if Mohan stuck to his usual habit, he would be the last Rana Prime Minister. In short the prophecy of Chandra Shumshere came true in 1951 A.D.

Sati a prevailing system among higher castes of Hindus then though considered to be a privilege and honour, was not compulsory. With some modification it had been prevailing in Nepal till 1920 A.D.

Jung Bahadur Rana was the first prime minister to forbid the commitment of Sati under certain conditions. Though he was not fully successful in wiping out the evil system, the number of Sati goers decreased. Beer Shumshere made a provision to take permission of the prime minister or the awyers under certain circumstances to practise Sati.

During his twentyone year tenure of premiership Chandra Shumshere amended certain provisions of the laws pertaining to Sati passed by his predecessors. In the long run he being advised by the most trusted nobles abolished the abominable system of Sati on June 28, 1920 A.D. if any one tried to force a widow or the widow herself to commit suicide in the form of Sati, it would be illegal and punishable as culpable homicide.

It is very different to trace the origin of bonded labour. A bonded labour was a man who had failed to pay back his due to his creditor. The latter would sell him or her to another person into slavery. As it was a voluntary custom the concerned offices would register the names of the slaves. Even the children of slaves would have the same fate, the main cause was poverty. Those who failed to pay tax, revenue or any other debt were openly sold in the market. Further the persons who would act contrary to law used to be sold as slaves. If the wives of the armed forces had sexual intercourse with other persons while their husbands were away in war, they including those involved in sex were made slaves. Traitors and rebels were also treated as slaves.

Jung Bahadur after promulgating the code of 1854 did something to discourage slavery. Accordingly Brahmins, Kshetris and Rajputs were prohibited from being sold as slaves. In short Jung Bahadur was the firsk person who had tried to abolish the Kamara Pratha (slave system).

Dev Shumshere had earnestly tried to do away with slavery but he failed to do so because of the lack of cooperation of the people. Chandra Shumshere was a man of practical approach. In the initial stages he made a series of reforms related to slavery. He appointed officers to find out the exact number of masters and the slaves. The number of slaves was found to be 51,519 and that of masters was 15,719. He appointed officers who would enlighten the people as to the evils of slave trade and slavery. Then Chandra Shumshere suggested three proposals: to abolish slavery as soon as possible, the government was to pay the due money of the slaves to their masters, from the date of the abolition of slavery the masters were made to look after the slaves as servants and provide them with food and clothing. Altogether 1251 masters agreed to emancipate the slaves.

At last Chandra Shumshere founded a special office for the emancipation of slaves. Consequently he proclaimed that since the 1st Baisakh 1982 B.S. slavery would be totally abolished throughout the country. If any person was found to have slaves he was to be punished according to the law of the land. Thus all the slaves were emancipated. The Government spent 36,70,000 rupees for it and some 4651 persons were emancipated in gratis by their masters and 114 persons had paid their due to their masters.

The emancipated slaves were called Shiva Bhakta and were given land were at Bhikshya. There which
later was known as Amlekhgunj.