Millennium Summit Of The UN
Meeting The Challenges

By Prem L. Chitrakar

THE heads of State and Government of more than 160 countries of the world are gathering in the UN Headquarters in New York to participate in the Millennium Summit of the United Nations. The General Assembly of the United Nations had decided on December, 1998 to designate its 55th session starting from 5th September 2000 as the Millennium Assembly and to hold a Millennium Summit, which now is underway from 6 to 8 September 2000, in New York.

Tasks

Ever since its Charter was signed by 50 countries of the world in 1945-some 55 years ago the United Nations and its different agencies have been undertaking several important and invaluable tasks for maintaining international peace and security in the world. Yet many more important issues have not been seriously addressed to and have not been solved even after the end of the Cold War, due to the lack of adequate cooperation from some of the leaders of the member countries of the United Nations.

Because of these and other factors, the effectiveness of the United Nations and its several agencies had gradually been eroding in recent years. Under these situation how to maintain the effectiveness of the world body in this mellennium, has been one of the daunting challenges that the United Nations and its different agencies have been facing at present. Therefore, the Heads of State and Government who are participating in the Millennium Summit in New York have to play a decessive role in bringing needed reforms or in introducing adequate measures, so that the United Nations and its different agencies can be made more effective and efficient in this millennium.

To make the Millennium Summit a success the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi A. Annan launched his millennium report and highlighted the major issue to be considered by the member countries of the world on 3 April, 2000. In his report, the Secretary General has raised many important issues such as globalisation, freedom from want, freedom from fear, sustainable future, renewing the United Nations, to name but a few. Therefore, the participating Heads of State and Government who have been attending the Millennium Summit should be very serious in conceiving the functioning of the United Nations and its different agencies and how they have conceived in making the people of the world safe and happy in the years to come.

During the 50th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the world leaders attending the 50th aniversary of the world body, had also suggested several reform measures to be introduced to make the United Nations and its different agencies effective, credible and impartial in their functioning in the Millennium. But the progresses made so far have been initiated in bringing about global stability.

If the world body and its different agencies are to play decessive role in solving the problems such as increasing poverty and in maintaining world order and the peace in the world, the United Nations and its important agencies must be reshaped and strengthened through the strong and rational commitment of the leaders who are now participating in the Millennium Summit.

Some of the major issues which have been threatening the stability and the peace of the world, are the testing of the nuclear devices by India and Pakistan, the bombing in Kosovo by NATO force without the concern of the Security Council of the United Nations, the disparity in criteria, developed and adopted by WTO, the increasing development gap between the developed countries of the North and the developing countries of South, the breakdown of the Camp-David talks on the Middle-East issue etc.

Under this situation, if the United Nations and its different agencies are to be made effective and impartial in their functioning in maintaining peace and the stability in this millennium as well as in resolving the development problems which the member nations have currently been facing, definitely some reform measures should be introduced in the current Millennium Summit and also adopted.

Some of the reform measures which are to be introduced and to be adopted are enlargement of the present 15 member-Security Council to 21 members (bringing six additional permanent members—two each from Africa, Latin America and Asia), and the scraping of the right to veto currently enjoyed by the Five Permanent Members of the Security Council. Similarly, a new mechanism related to the transfer of technology must be forthcoming from the developed countries of the North to the Third World countries through the different agencies of the United Nations.

Considering the present day situation of the world a new development and a new peaceful environment should be created in sustaining peaceful development in the world in this millennium. They must be created not only in bridging the development gap between the developed countries of the North and developing Third World countries based on new global paradigm of sustainable development but also for developing an international peace and security environment based on charter of the United Nations.

The other problem which the world body and its different agencies have been facing have been the limited financial resources either to support the peace-keeping forces or in undertaking other activities of the different agencies. Therefore, the financial contribution which the developed countries have been making should be increased to support and sustain the activities of the United Nations. The dues of the member nations must also be paid on time if the UN is to discharge its responsibilities throughout the world.

Commitment

Even with the end of the Cold War era, unnecessary interference, opposition agression or imposition of sanctions by one member country against another independent and sovereign member country has been continuing. This should no longer to be allowed to continue in this millennium. This should also be one the new commitments of the participating leaders of the Millennium Summit.

Indrajatra: Festival Of Thanks Giving To Rain God

By Dhurba K. Deep

ONE of the most popular post monsoon festivals of Nepal is Indrajatra. This fascinating festival officially begins with the raising of a huge 50 feet long ceremonial pole at Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square in Kath-mandu. This pole is traditionally identified as the victory banner of Lord Indra, the King at Heaven. It is marked with the traditional music band and guns booming in the air as the crowd watch this ceremonial event with great insterest and awe. This ceremony takes place same time around 8-9 a.m. on the 12th day of bright fortnight of Bhadra 10th September this year). This week long festival is celebrated in Nepal basically as a thanksgiving day to Indra, the God of Rain for the timely rain on earth.

One of the highlights of this festival is the traditional display of life size statues of Askash Bhairava who represents the Tantric form of Indra (the God of Heaven) at many important places of Kathmandu Valley. Besides this, many other small ritual poles erected at various major toles (localities) are also quite noticeable. However the most important moment to be seen during this jatra is the king size golden statue of Indra at Maruhiti tole. The display of these religious figures represent Indra’s annual visit to the earth to see if his devotees have enough to eat.

In the evening of this day many Newar Buddhists who have lost somebody in their family that year follow a certain route prescribed for this purpose that leads to many important places of worship where they light oil lamps in small clay cups called Palcha and pray for the eternal peace of the departed souls.

The most important venue for all kinds of major cultural activities is the Hanuman Dhoka area. This is where the most typical Lakhe (demon) dance, Bhairava dance and Mahakali dance are performed. One of the most important items of this festival is the Dash Avatar pyakhan, the pageant of ten different incarnations of Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation.

Another important day Kathmanduites celebrates with great enthusiasm is the third day of Indrajatra locally known as Kumari Salejgu, meaning the ceremonial pulling of the festival chariot, of Kumari. The chariot is followed by two other living gods namely Ganesh, the elephant headed-god of goodluck and Bhairava. The terrifying god of discipline both duly seated on their respective chariots. His Majesty the King on this day accompanied by many dignitaries, will be viewing the whole score from the Gaddi Baithak Hall which is right across the famed temple of Kumari. The action starts sometime around 3-4 p.m when the King proceeds to receive the tika (a symbol of blessing) from Kumari. After this festival chariots move through the surging mass towards the south of Kathmandu for their time-honoured traditional round. The people celebrate this occasion by festing on Samebaji (spicy dishes specially prepared for the occasion) and drinking rice wine or beer. Many on this day prefer to drink the beer poured directly from the mouth of white Akash Bhairava at Hanuman Dhoka and blue Aakash Bhairava at Indra Chowk and consider themselves blessed after taking a sip of the drink. It is quite interesting to see how they scramble themselves among the surging mass to have a chance just to sip a few drops of the beer straight from the mouth of Bhairava.

The last day celebra-tion, which is the eight (8th day of Indrajatra, is observed with the animal sacrifice to Bhairava. The closing of this festival is marked by pulling down the ceremonial pole installed at Hanuman Dhoka which is immediately dragged all the way to Pachali Bhairava temple at Teku and from there to the riverside to be thrown away. This is the last ritual performed indicating the end of the festival.