Conflict Victims
In Need Of Justice

By Dr. Shanker Kumar Shrestha

NEPAL has a history of losses and pains of conflict-victims in different periods caused made through political incidents. Different names are given for different political movements such as democratic movement of 1951, Naxaliest movement of 1974-75, The reinstatement movement for democracy of 1990, seven years conflict in the name of Maoist activity since 1995. The natural and ultimate result of all these incidents is the birth of victims.

Definition

In this context, we can define, 'victim' as a person who, individually or collectively, has suffered harm, including physical and mental injury, emotional sufferings, economic losses or substantial impairment of fundamental rights through movement by political conflicts.

Victims are often primary cause of criminal acts, though the political movements creating conflicts and bringing the birth of numbers of victims have not been considered as the criminal acts. It has been said that the acts committed or done in due course of such movements have been considered as the political acts. This is why, the cry of pains and losses of victims are never heard for justice. They are forgotten when the objectives of the movements are achieved. They deserve justice but they do not get it.

Hapless victims mostly suffer the agony of watching themselves landed to total ruin. What is more, such victimisation takes place continuously and the need for its solution is merely talked about in an ineffective and faint manner. The society knows it but it gets confused and remains silent amidst ambiguous and complicated statutory as well as legal and even constitutional provisions. The people know it but they have no legal leg to stand. On the other hand, the political commitment has always been centered around achieving and sharing the power. The victims are made the means to the goal.
Victims seem to be passive and totally defenceless. They are left in the devastation. Victims are discriminated by the state and its system. Settlement of all these conflicts are made in the due processes of political approach, but we have never tried to understand the feelings of the victims. Farsighted and visionary approach has never been applied. Every time conflict management has been completed politically and the problems of victims are always left unsolved.

The conflict-victims have lost their homes, families are disrupted and family structure is destroyed. Materials, as food, fuel etc are listed in shortage. Health care has become problem of their reality. Sexual assaults are highly recorded. Crime rates have been increased. For this very purpose they require to be humanely treated. The term 'justice' here does not mean simply a decision made by a court of law in due process of case. So, in short, term justice carries many more possibilities for the betterment of victims. Justice as such to heal the pain of victims can be supplied through financial, material/physical, managerial supports as compensation/reparation, restitution, rehabilitation, counseling, etc. In the situation of trauma and medical problems, treatment, trauma crisis intervention as well as mental and emotional supports are to be supplied. Reciprocally they deserve to be enlisted for the free education and job oriented training.

For this purpose, care-cultured politic, either in the party or in the institutions has not been reflected. And the people engaging in the political activities have not thought yet that peaceful political culture in essential. In preserving own political existence of party system, we have not further imagined that institutional set up for peace making process must be made. Simply wishful regard is not enough. Despite several problems and confusions, a belief system should be developed. Conflict management and conflict transformation must be applied accordingly. Gap or absence of healthier approach has made us problematic. In the political figures open-mindedness for sustainable peace is highly required.

We have been suffering from the absence of conceptual clarity that the problems of conflict-victims have no meaning in the process of peace building. Understanding and accommodation the agenda of other settlements will provide peace. There must be a vision of the end of the sufferings of victims and undertake a mission of achieving a state where victims get justice. Victims should be treated with compassion and respect to redress for harm they have suffered.

One thing must be understood neither the Maoists nor political parties alone can achieve peace for victims. Meeting point must be searched. Cease-fire, code of conduct, dialogue process must be observed, though code of conduct does not carry any objectives for the betterment for victim of conflicts. Basically, human rights of the conflict-victims need to be defined and requires positive interpretation as right not to be victimized, right to be compensated or rehabilitated, right to be entitled for medical treatment, etc.

Common Goal

State, in this regard, should perform as the final guardian of the people. Political parties or personalities involving in the conflict should realise that the people are common goal of their activities. They should never be made the means of securing the selfish of one's own.

Useful Germinated Brown Rice

By Dr. Hari Bahadur KC

RICE is the most important food crop of Nepal. It has high economic as well as social value. Rice has supported a greater number of people for a longer period of time than any other crop since it was cultivated. At present 90 per cent of total rice production is grown and consumed in Asia. The consumption of rice beyond Asia is also increasing. However, the way of consumption varies from place to place, country to country.

Benefit

The new way of eating rice may change the diet in the next century. The potential health benefits of germinated brown rice have attracted public attention and challenging the deep-seated prejudice against brown rice.

Germinated rice is brown rice soaked in water until it just begins to bud. The outer bran layer becomes soft and more prone to water absorption, making it easier to cook. Enzymes produced during the budding process break down sugar and protein, giving the rice a sweet flavour.
Experts say, the germinated rice may enhance brain functions and reduce levels of lipids, or fats, in the blood. Studies have found that germinated brown rice contains three times as much gamma amino butyric acid, an amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter, as conventional brown rice, and five times as much as white rice. Known to promote blood flow in the brain, the chemical has long been used for treating the after effects of brain injuries and strokes. It is also known to help stabilise blood pressure and reduce lipid levels in the blood. In addition, compared to ordinary brown rice, germinated brown rice is twice as rich in lysine, one of the essential amino acids that makes proteins in the body and contains a higher level of soluble fibber. Researcher reported that, dietary fibber has been found to be more beneficial in its soluble form. Further researchers are planning to do further studies to clinically confirm its health benefits.

For a long time, the Nepalese have been fanatic about Bhat (white rice). Many people don't need anything else if they have a plate of Dal (pulses soup), Bhat (white rice), Tarkari (vegetables) and Achar (pickle). Articles often feature the best way to cook white rice; dishes that go best with Bhat and where to buy the best rice. White rice is considered a symbol of prosperity; brown rice, conversely, suggests poverty.

From a nutritional standpoint, however, experts agree that it is clearly better to eat unpolished rice. The outer bran layer of the rice grain, which is removed during the milling process, is rich in fibber, iron, vitamins and minerals.

Brown rice has five times as much vitamin B as white rice. Finicky eaters who favoured milled white rice in the past decade learned that, when vitamin B deficiencies caused a high incidence of beriberi. Fibber is also dramatically higher in brown rice; a bowl of brown rice contains about 5 grams of fibber, nine times more than the same amount of white rice. Studies have shown that the nutrient helps prevent major diseases such as gastrointestinal cancers and heart disease. As people become more health conscious, the benefits of brown rice would have been more widely recognised. However, its texture and the fact that many electric rice cookers are unable to cook brown rice properly which may restrict its popularity in some city areas. Germinated brown rice, however, can easily be cooked in a rice cooker, giving it added demand for people who have little time to prepare meals.

In some areas of Japan the local government has encouraged its residents to consume germinated brown rice to promote health. Consumers prefer the taste of brown rice. It's especially good as a rice ball or porridge or when eaten with curry. The health checkups of a number of consumers showed improved liver functions and lower blood cholesterol levels.

Brown rice can be germinated at home, but the process is time-consuming. One method is to soak brown rice in 300C water for about 20-22 hours. Soaking brown rice in cold water for two to three days is another way, but needs changing the water frequently to prevent bacterial infestations. Researchers studied nutritional changes in brown rice during germination and found how to prevent the budding from proceeding too far, damaging flavour and reducing nutritional levels. Researchers say rice reaches its best state as a food during germination. Thus tremendous changes would occur in our health if we lived on germinated brown rice.

Extension

In our context rice prouced in traditional way is the another alternative conventional way of eating rice some what better than polished white rice for better health. Government and other concerned agencies should take initiation for the extension of such important way of eating germinated brown rice.

Looking Glasses Differ

By PNK

IT may be 'destination Malaysia or Qatar or ……….', but the reasons are the same. Foreign employment sounds glamorous. Lots of money to be earned. Family back home benefits. The country too has its own share. All these are presuppositions, howsoever. Aren't there enough stories of those who had been duped even before entering the international airport premises.

It's a tough life for people living a marginal life. The country is poor. Enough employment generation schemes have not materialised. The land gives less returns as the years pass. So you come to hear of the scarcity of passports. Who knows one day, at least, everyone may have a passport to boast of. Don't ask whether the holder has been abroad. It's a prestige symbol. But many will miss the bus!
There are reports of many people in foreign employment have ended up losing up their lives due to accidents or something else. The newspaper reports are there for the interested to glean over. Or ask someone concerned at the Aryaghat as to how many coffins with corpses have landed there of individuals who had gone to work in a foreign country and died there. They will tell you of many cases. Does all that justify the urge for going abroad and not being able to taste the success that is family's happiness and prosperity.

When going abroad for employment the hopes are high. There is a grin in the face. For some there is fear. After all, many have sold or mortgaged their house, land and their everything to pave the way for a better future.

Why? Why are so many Nepalese youths looking for employment in foreign countries? It needs no explanation. Everyone at heart knows the answer.

If only our country had the booming economy to sustain just 24 million. It's not a big deal had we planned and worked harder before calling ourselves poor. Yet, any moment we realise that we're not working hard enough it's time to get started. And, what more can we do than make plans and get the development activities from the launching pad? The people now know better.

They have started it. Women of Nawalparasi district have become self-reliant through a village development programme. Well, they opt for any venture which have feasibility. In one case, not being able to meet the family demands of the family including five children, a person had gone to India for greener pastures. Now, his wife has good income by opening a pop-and-mom store. Isn't it amazing? We talk of empowerment of women in posh hotels but what we need is go to the villages. Give the women the helping hands instead of those long drawn out expensive seminars and thick volumes of reports produced regualrly year after year.

A few thousands of rupees does the trick in the rural parts. And mind you, a number of male members who had gone abroad have returned home to assist their home business. It sounds like good news. Why suffer the humiliation when one can make a decent living in one's own country.

Well, for some the foreign employment charms never die. At least the good things happening in the country, albeit little ones, may stop a few back at home to make a livelihood and not see a mirage in the desert.