Clear UK Support

IN a reflection of the general sympathetic understanding of the way the government is handling the Maoist problem, the administration of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba continues to hear expressions of support from its development partners. Ever since the government decided to respond to Maoists’ virtual declaration of war in late November last year by imposing a state of emergency, government has been receiving constant support from its development partners. They have taken pains to reiterate their support frequently on different occasions. The latest words of sympathy and support for the difficult task the government is engaged in has come from Britain’s parliamentary under-secretary of state Ben Bradshaw on a two-day working visit. Following his talks with Prime Minister Deuba on Wednesday, he pledged the British government’s support to Nepal in its battle against terrorism and poverty. He wanted to come here, he said, particularly at this time to show solidarity with Nepal. Mr. Bradshaw minced no words in condemning last week’s Maoist attacks in Achham and Sarlahi, saying that through their latest brutality, the Maoists had shown their true colours.

It is not only in the matter of fighting terrorism that the United Kingdom has pledged a solid support. In an indication of the British government’s understanding of the resource-crunch that Nepal is facing, there was also an announcement from Mr. Bradshaw that the UK had decided to increase its annual assistance level to 20 million pounds. The desire to increase the amount of money has been prompted obviously by the new needs of Nepal to invest in conflict prevention and resolution, an area where Britain hopes to cooperate closer in the future. The strong sentiments of support in the government’s campaign against terrorism and the firm promise of additional resources focussing on conflict prevention should give comfort to the government that one of Nepal’s major development partners sees the Maoist problem in much the same way as the government does. This is a reassuring thought for the government as it tries to bring the battle against terrorism to its logical end and, at the same time, tries to mobilise both internal and external resources to plug the budgetary gaps, caused by diversion of resources to the security needs.Wildlife Conservation Training

ON the occasion of the International Year of Mountains-2002, the Langtang National Park authorities, with a view to familiarise and train park rangers on matters relating to the conservation of wildlife in the protected preserves, organised the first annual conservation biology training programme in Rasuwa district. Conservation of wildlife in protected reserves is a never-ending activity. For, not only must the wildlife protection authorities be always on their toes, especially against poachers and illegal settlers, but they also have to traverse difficult terrain while discharging their duties. Since the park protection authorities are always short of adequate personnel to protect the wildlife by patrolling the vast, topographically diverse terrain, the chances of illegal activities taking place within the protected reserves cannot be ruled out. Apart from this, the park protection personnel have to be always on the lookout for any untoward behaviour displayed by the protected wild animals as it could give them the much-needed clues concerning the well-being of their wild wards. The more so in national parks which are surrounded by human settlements from all or three sides. For, wherever there is a human settlement, there is bound to be domesticated animals, all of which are taken by the wild animals roaming in their protected areas as dumb prey to satiate their hunger. Such predatory wild animals, as it is their wont, not only have the uncanny instinct of staking out their territories, but will also not tolerate any encroachment from their own species. As the protected parks’ confines are always limited, the only option left to those predatory animals without any hunting territories of their own due to, among others, over-population of their species, will be to prey on the domesticated animals.

Herein lies the greatest danger to these rogue animals’ survival as a species. They could either fall to the bullets of the enraged villagers or, worse still, die from animal diseases transferred to them by their domesticated prey. Since wild animals are more susceptible to animal diseases and treating the diseased wild animals in their natural habitats is next to impossible, the chances of such maladies running like wildfires in the protected parks will always be there. To forestall such a catastrophe from ever happening, the wildlife protection personnel should be imparted necessary training and their existing strength too should be considerably augmented.