Japanese Prime Minister Mori’s Nepal Visit
Short But Fruitful

By Jagadish B. Mathema

ALTHOUGH Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s official visit to Nepal was short (a duration of 10 hrs), this historical visit of the Japanese Prime Minister can be considered as fruitful as well as meaningful. This visit can be termed as a milestone to strengthen the friendly and cordial relations that has sustained over the decades between the two countries, the hand of Mount Everest and the hand of the Rising Sun.

Major Issues

Among the major issues that have been discussed between the two Prime Ministers of Nepal and Japan are expansion of the United Nations Security Council in both permanent as well as non-permanent categories; Nepal’s support for Japan’s candidature in the Security Council, signing up Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), solving Bhutanese Refugee issue, security and safety of Japanese volunteers working in various projects in disturbed areas; energizing SAARC and setting up a Japan-SAARC special fund; disbursement of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to the developing world; IT training in Japan under "Mori Fellowship; 5,000 youths to be invited under educational and cultural exchange programme, economic assistance for Nepal, river management (flood control and reclamation of land for agricultural purposes, etc).

As, we already have stepped into a new millennium, the world scenario has drastically changed. In view of the changed context, the United Nations Security Council is in need of expansion in both permanent as well as non-permanent categories. At present, there are five permanent and ten non-permanent members which are elected for a term of two years. This issue is likely to be raised in the Millennium Summit scheduled to be held at New York from September 6-8. Japan is likely to announce its candidature in the permanent catagory of the Security Council. It should be noted here that the expansion of Security Council to include "new powers" such as Japan, India and Germany has been suggested by various quarters.

During the official visits of Pakistan and India, Prime Minister Mori has already requested General Pervez Musharaf, Chief Executive of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee to sign CTBT. Although, Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee has said "India is most mindful and sensitive to the sentiments," Japan has suffered from the weapons of mass distruction as it is the only country in the world to have suffered from them. However, New Delhi is saying that it is trying to evolve a political consensus on the issue. When India as well as Pakistan tested nuclear devices 1998, Japan had imposed economic sanctions on both the countries. Prime Minister Mori has indicated to lift a freeze on developmental assistance and fresh yen loans to India and Pakistan following their tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998. As for Nepal, she has already signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), according to the Foreign Secretary, Narayan Shumsher Thapa.

Prime Minister Koirala has requested Japan’s cooperation in solving the Bhutanese refugees issue, which has become a major problem for Nepal, since India has so far insisted Nepal to solve it bilaterally. Premier Mori has informed Prime Minister Koirala that he had discussed the Bhutanese refugee problem with Sadako Ogata, UN High Commissioner for Refguees. Japan has pledged 1.3 million dollars for the refugees and additional one million dollars for food under World Food Programme.

Due to Maoist insurgency problem in various Maoist affected areas, concern for the safety and security of approximately 300 Japanese volunteers has come up. Prime Minister Koirala has assured that adequate measures will be taken for their safety and security.

Japan is regarded as an Asian economic superpower. Therefore, it is only befitting that Japan should be occupying the number one position in disbursement of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to the developed at a time when other countries of the developed world are tightening their purse strings. Nepal has benefited substantially from Japanese ODA not only in financial terms, but also from Japanese involvement in the socio-economic development sphere of the nation.

Prime Minister Mori’s current visit has highlighted IT sector, as it was announced that 50 Nepali youth would be provided IT training in Japan under "Mori Fellowship." Besides, 5,000 youths would also be invited under educational and cultural exchange programme from South Asian region.

The immediate major benefit Nepal received from this visit of Premier Mori was that grant of 1.14 billion rupees, which Japan will provide to Nepal for use in various developmental areas. This money will be spent for construction of primary schools under Basic and Primary Education programme and as debt relief measures. Besides, Japan has also announced grant amount of 300 thousand dollars for the relief of flood victims. In addition to that, Japan has also promised to help Nepal in its river management (flood control and declamation of land for agricultural purposes) construction of bridges in rural areas and construction of an alternative road between Kathmandu and Terai region.

The one week long visit of Japanese Prime Minister Mori can be concluded as a successful and fruitful visit to South Asian region and is expected by all to have far reaching beneficial impacts in the years to come.

During Mori’s visit to India, Mori said that Japan and India have become global partners. This new partnerrship will be working for peace, development and cooperation. As a result, the bilateral relations would acquire a new demension and depth.

Prime Minister Mori had focussed his discussion on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme, its dispute with India over Kashmir and economic sanction and combating international terrorism.

In Bangladesh, Premier Mori singed agreements on cooperation on four projects. Japan is Bangladesh’s most important development partner having already donated 971 billion yen in loans and grants since independence in 1971.

Fruitful Visit

Although, Premier Mori’s Nepal visit was short, it can be concluded as fruitful as well as meaningful in that the visit has boosted the already warm and friendly relations subsisting between Nepal and Japan since the time the first Japanese Buddhist monk Ekai Kawaguchi, visited Nepal more than a century ago.

New Chapter In Nepal-India Ties

By Laxmi Bahadur Vaidya

PRIME Minister Girija Prasad Koirala reached New Delhi, the capital of India, recently at 31st July on a week-long official visit to India at the friendly invitation of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Prime Minister Koirala was warmly welcomed at Rastrapati Bhawan on August first at a formal ceremony by the Indian PM Vajpayee.

Confidence Building

In February 1996 the then Nepalese Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, had visited India. Since that time no one Nepalese Prime Minister had visited India so that it has created a vacuum in the relation between the two friendly countries of the SAARC region, Nepal and India. PM Koirala said two days before his departure for New Delhi the main purpose of his India visit was to fulfill the vacuum as well as it was a confidence building mission to bring the relation between Nepal and India on the ‘right track’ which has gone ‘off-track’ for the last four years.

Normally, such exchange of visits at a very high level is very important and imperative in diplomatic term in fostering the warm, friendly and cordial relations between the two countries.

In the world, there are few countries whose histories, customs and cultures, religious and traditions have been so closely interlinked for quite a long time.

Although permanent geographical, historical and economic ties have brought the two friendly countries close together, some of the irritating problems that unfortunately cropped up between India and Nepal due to the lack of interaction between the leaders of the two countries have led to a coolness in the otherwise warm, close and cordial relations.

Free and frank exchange of views on the entire gamut of Nepal-India relationship at the highest level is generally termed as a confidence building measure which plays a prominent role in normalising, improving and consolidating bilateral relations. It has been recognised that such exchange of visits must take place regularly because it is an essential and very effective strategy in modern international diplomacy. That is why it is absolutely necessary that both Nepal and India genuinely cherish the spirit and desire to live together in close harmony. On Aug. 3rd PM Koirala completed the major part of his goodwill visit to India. This visit has been considered to be very fruitful, helpful and meaningful because it has created a positive atmosphere in Nepal-India relations in resolving the problems that have existed between the two neighbouring countries for some time.

During the visit the two Prime Ministers of Nepal and India, apart from holding extensive discussions on many outstanding issues, reviewed the past 50 years of bilateral relations between Nepal and India and emphasised to take care of the long-term interests of both the countries with mutual trust, respect and understanding to move forward in a positive direction that goes beyond the traditional thinking with new vision in the new millennium. This visit of PM Koirala, as such, has paved the way to move towards this end which needs to be continued.

When PM Koirala completed the official programmes of his good-will visit, a joint press statement has been issued on that occasion. In the joint statement it is mentioned that PM G.P. Koirala and his Indian counterpart A.B. Vajpayee have acknowledged that the agenda of partnership must be focussed on expanding mutually beneficial and future-oriented cooperation to ensure the long-term prospects of peace and friendship between the two neighbours.

Both the Prime Ministers stressed the need to revitalise the relationship in view of the growing global interdependence engendered by increasing globalisation and by the revolution in the spheres of communication and information with rapid changes that have taken place at the national, regional and global levels.

During the discussions of the two Prime Ministers the Indian side accepted the demand of Nepal to exempt the levy of special additional duty on Nepalese goods export to India. In this regard the Nepalese side suggested that such a special additional duty was unreasonable and contradiction to the trade treaty signed on December 1996 between Nepal and India.

The Prime Ministers gave extreme importance to that huge potential for water resources development in Nepal because it is believed that it can generate thousands of Megawatts of hydro-power whose demand in India is growing increasingly high due to its fast emerging economy. Thus, hydro-power development will bring mutual benefit and improve the lives of the people of the both countries. That is why they directed their respective governments to set up a joint committee on water resources to discuss all important issue, relating to cooperation and implementation of subsisting agreements and creating understanding in this sector with top priority to the implementation of the Mahakali Treaty.

Regarding to the inundation and other impacts of Laxmanpur Barrage that is constructed in the Indian side both the Prime Ministers have agreed to let a technical team consisting of experts from both countries to take a site inspection to be reached in conclusion. The two Prime Ministers have reached an agreement relating to the boundary demarcation to leave to the joint technical-level boundary committee and directed the committee to complete its field work by 2002 including the Kalapani area.

The long open border between Nepal and India is unique feature of the two countries in promoting the bilateral friendship and relations in various sectors such as economic, social, cultural and religious. But, unfortunately the open border has also created a serious threat on both sides of the border such as cross-border terrorism, drugs and girl trafficking, smuggling as well as migration in a massive scale which is a unbearable burden on the tiny Kingdom of Nepal. Realising these ill consequences, the two sides mutually accepted to devise effective measures and modalities to manage the long and open border.

The 1950 of Peace and Friendship Treaty that has inspired and guided the relations between the two countries till date has become a stumbling block in developing and further strengthening the closer ties in many respects.

Today the political, economic and international situation is a quite different from that period when the 1950 treaty was concluded at the time of Rana autocratic regime. Now the time has come for both Nepal and India to take a careful look at the treaty and to revise them in the light of the changed circumstances and the existing realities in the region and the world as a whole. Recognising these facts and realities both the Prime Ministers instructed their foreign secretaries to undertake a review of all outstanding issues relating to the 1950 treaty to explore a new treaty framework.

However, they showed their understanding and respect for each other’s views while in discussion and recognised the over-riding interest each as in continuing and strengthening good relations with the other. In this respect Nepal and India are not lagging behind to show the world a unique example of good neighbourliness.

At the end of his official good-will visit to India Prime Minister Koirala extended invitation to his Indian counterpart A.B. Vajpayee to pay official visit to Nepal at his convenience. This invitation has accepted whole-heartedly by the Indian PM Vajpayee.

New Chapter

This good-will official visit to India by PM Koirala has added a new chapter and dynamism in the history of Nepal-India relations that is marked by trust, friendliness, warmth and cooperation.

RANDOM NOTES

By Bijay Aryal

Pactice of Teej

THIS year’s Teej festival is over. This is festival of complete fasting by the female sex. They are supposed to take nothing by mouth - not even a drop of water for that day. But modern time have brought in modifications. There are those who stick to the strict tradition of going entirely hungry and thirsty for a whole day and night. But the number of those who take in something or other is fast growing. Some may limit themselves to drinking plain water, others may turn to fruit-eating, still others may extend the limits to sweets. There may be those who may throw these restrictions to the winds.

Goddess

Parvati observed a fast wishing to get Lord Mahadev as her husband. And she got him. So Hindu women have come to observe the festival for the good of their husbands. Married women observe the Teej brata for the longevity and well-being of their husbands, unmarried ones do so to get the husband of their choice, widows do it praying for a reunion with their departed husbands in next life as man and wife. So goes the lore of Teej.

In these modern times, the view of Pati Parameshwar is receiving less favour. Divorce rates are increasing; wife beaters and torturers are aplenty. There are so many mismatches that a good number of women, given a choice, are likely to get rid of their husbands, or in the case of widows, many would hardly wish for reunion in next juni. In those many cases, the rationale of the Teej brata runs counter to the hard facts of life. The idea of Teej is grounded in the belief that all women want the longevity of their husbands or a reunion with their dead husbands. Or some wives may not wish their husbands a long life. Some might in their heart of hearts wish for a reunion not with their dead husbands but with those whom they had loved but had not been able to marry or their lovers.

TU Strategy

Tribhuvan University, the country’s oldest and biggest university, is said to have drawn up a 20-year strategy for surviving in the 21st century amid stiff competition from other universities. And within weeks, the Nepal Samacharpatra daily reported, TU will make public what it will do during the next two decades. A statute that may be acceptable to all is said to be in the works.

At present TU has 61 campuses of its own and 158 campuses affiliated with it. And over 180,000 students study in them. With the appearance of new universities, TU has been losing its charm day by day. It is considered an employment mill for 5,000 teachers and 7,000 other employees most of whom work little. Most of its budget goes into paying salaries and into inefficient administration and financial leakage. So not much remains to enhance the quality of the education it provides.

The fault with the 20-year strategy, to my mind, lies in thinking of the next 20 years as being static. In this day of unimaginably rapid technological and other changes, the 20-year strategy might become a fossil within five years. The strategy should focus on what should be its ownership and organization structure, how to reduce the bloated manpower, how to run it efficiently, how to end political interference and unnecessary politicisation of university campuses, how to bring the universities syllabuses up to date with the present times, and how to revise them at fairly short intervals, if need be, rather than letting them go on for years and years, how to enhance the quality of teaching, and so on. Instead of extending the Bachelor’s level from previous two years to the present three years, what about making it a four-year course in line with international practice ? How to generate funds for the university ? The firing of teachers and staff who work little with impunity, sheltered as they are by job security, should be made easier.

It would be a good thing if TU, which is looking more and more moribund, turned over a new leaf.