Minister Khadka "sacked"
Reshuffle, "no confidence" expected

By a staff reporter

In the grim struggle for power within the Nepali Congress,  the first casualty has been Minister for Water Resources and Housing and Physical Planning Khum Bahadur Khadka. In a rare and hasty move, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala “sacked” Minister Khadka Tuesday afternoon.

Challenger : Khadka

Khadka was relieved of his post on Tuesday - a move apparently made by Koirala to stave off any opposition against him which was brewing for some time.

A source close to Minister Khadka told The Independent that the sacked minister will speak in the House of Representatives today (Wednesday). He will strongly challenge Koirala’s decision and maybe even leadership, he warned.

The flicker of unrest had started when a state minister Mohammad Aftab Alam was forced to resign by Koirala. Alam is considered close to Khadka.

However, in spite of Khadka having lost his ministerial berth for now, it is still unclear which side the balance will tilt, when the air of this volatile political battle clears up. For now, there were hushed whispers that a no confidence motion may be registered against Prime Minister Koirala. However, the Prime Minister could stave off this threat also by initiating a huge reshuffle and taking in Khadka as well as some others as ministers. It is also said that several of Koirala’s close supporters, such as Tarini Dutt Chataut and J.P. Anand are also expected to be dropped to appease the opposition within the party.

There were indications that things were not right within the government right from the day when Prime Minister Koirala returned from his India visit. No sooner than he returned from the India visit Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had to fight fire from within the party.

Challenged : PM Koirala

With several ministers, including Minister Khadka, and dozens of MPs holding a meeting at the official residence of the Prime Minister on Monday morning, it was evident that something would definitely happen.

On Monday, about two dozen MPs led by Khadka had gone to the Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar to demand that Koirala step down from one of the two top posts he is holding and for handing over the party presidency to the younger generation. There also reports that Khadka and others were also contemplating of bringing in a no-confidence motion against Koirala in the party’s parliamentary committee.

But sources said Koirala rejected the demand and challenged them to try to remove him from the government through a no-confidence motion or from the party at the party’s general convention. The party’s general convention is scheduled for November.

However, critics are questioning Koirala’s wisdom in outrightly sacking such a man like Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka. “This quick decision will not do him any good,” an observer said. He added that Khadka was not one man alone, “he has many MPs behind him”.

Koirala is probably facing the toughest challenge to his leadership in the government since he took over about four months ago.

Discontent was brewing within the Nepali Congress over Koirala’s leadership both in the government and the party. However, it seemed to have flared after state minister Mohammad Aftab Alam resigned under Koirala’s instruction just before he left for India. Alam is a close supporter of Khadka, and the resignation was taken by Khadka’s supporters as a give-in to the UML.

The UML had demanded Alam’s ouster from the government alleging him of kidnapping UML supporters in his home district Rautahat.

While Koirala supporters say the whole move was made by Khadka only because he was not given the charge of the Home Ministry but opponents of Koirala say the Prime Minister has failed on the very objectives of controlling corruption, good governance and solving the Maoist problem - on the basis of which he had wrested power from Bhattarai four months ago.

Khadka’s discontent and the present rebellion may be understandable. Khadka had played a pivotal role in electing Koirala as the party’s leader in the parliament on the condition that he be made deputy prime minister and home minister. But the promise was not fulfilled.

Now, with Khadka being kicked out, the struggle for power within the Nepali Congress will be fierce.

With so many MPs and even party workers disenchanted with Koirala, it seem Koirala is slowly losing his grip and ground in the Nepali Congress. The present struggle for power could mean that the helm of power goes to the second generation leaders of the Nepali Congress earlier than expected.

Thawing chill in relations, achievement of visit

By a staff reporter

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala returned home Sunday after a week-long visit to India. On his arrival back home, Prime Minister Koirala said he was fully satisfied with the visit and that he has brought back goodwill of the Indian government and the people.

Considering the situation at home and the chill that had shrouded relations between the two countries especially in the last 7 months, Koirala’s visit was a difficult one. So, the biggest challenge before Koirala was whether he would be able to clear the clouds of mistrust and misunderstanding. If one looks at the visit objectively, then Koirala accomplished what he had intended.

After coming back, Prime Minister Koirala said at a press conference at the Tribhuvan International Airport that the visit has ended the confusion and misunderstanding between the two countries. That should be a biggest achievement of Koirala.

Prime Minister Koirala being welcomed by Panchakanyas on his arrival at Kathmandu on Sunday.

Before the visit Koirala had been saying that he was going to India without any specific agenda, but to discuss Nepal’s relations with India in totality, and to urge India to mould our relations according to changing times and new global realities.

A big achievement of the visit is, undoubtedly, the opening of the doors for dialogue and discussion on bilateral issues several issues.

In this context, the two governments have agreed to have the first meeting of the revived ministerial-level joint commission within six months. For this the Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh will be visiting Kathmandu.

According to the joint press statement, released after Koirala’s talks with the Indian government, the joint-commission will act as an umbrella body to oversee the entire of bilateral relations and provide directives on measures to further strengthen them.

Meanwhile, one of the thorniest issue between the two countries is the boundary demarcation, including that of Kalapani.

The two leaders have now directed the Joint Technical Level Boundary Committee to complete its field work by 2001-2002 and the final preparation of the strip maps by 2003. It has also been directed the Joint Working Group of the Boundary Committee to expeditiously complete the examination of the facts related to the alignment of the boundary in several pockets of western sector, including Kalapani, where there are differences in perceptions of the two sides.

Similarly, on the 1950 Treaty, which Nepal has been wanting to be reviewed,  the two Prime Ministers have directed the foreign secretaries to undertake a review of all issues pertaining to the treaty. The Foreign Secretaries would meet within six months.

During the visit, the two sides also agreed to forge cooperation in various other sectors, including trade, transit and other aspects of economic cooperation, including in  hydropower.

In hydropower, yet another joint committee will be set up at the Secretary level and it would discuss all issues related to water resources including the implementation of the existing agreements and understandings.

Prime Minister Koirala also said the issue of the Laxmanpur barrage would be dealt with on-the-spot inspection, and India has assured that any such  projects will be undertaken in the future only  after consultations with Nepal.

It might be mentioned that the Nepalese parliamentary committee and the opposition parties have demanded that the Laxmanpur barrage and the embankment be pulled down because it was constructed so near the Nepalese border and that it had caused several villages of Nepalese to be flooded by checking the natural flow of water.

Although the Prime Minister has come back with only one package of the abolition of the four per cent special addition duty imposed on Nepalese exports to India, it can be believed that the visit has succeeded in bringing the relations between the two countries ‘back to the track’.

Meanwhile, discontent has immediately cropped up over the ‘lifting’ up of the government’s emission standard for Indian vehicles. Under an understanding reached during the visit, Nepal will accept the emission level of the Indian vehicle imported into Nepal according to the type approval of the manufacturers.

Nonetheless, it may be said that Koirala has succeeded in his mission to warm up the chill and resume consultations and dialogue with India, but the real achievement will come only if the problems that have been seen in the relations between the two countries. For this, what is needed is India cooperation more than Nepal’s willingness to see its relations with India benefit both the countries.

UML warns of street protests

By a staff reporter

The CPN-UML has said that it will come to the streets again against the government. The main opposition party in the parliament has also said that it was breaking up talks with the government, accusing it of being irresponsible. The UML has specifically said that it would not talk with the deputy prime minister regarding its demands.

According to a press statement of the party, the government had looked positive early on, but lately it has tried to foil and fool them.

The party has not specified the date for its street protests.

The UML’s breaking of the talks and threat of protest has added more difficulty to the beleaguered Koirala government, which itself is reeling from intra-party feud.

Meanwhile, according to a political analyst, UML’s announcement for the street protest is more an attempt to show its presence in the political front.

Maoists decision, jolt for govt.

By a staff reporter

The government’s efforts to solve the rapidly spreading Maoist problem seems to have received a big jolt, with the announcement of the Maoist party saying it will not come forward for talks with the government now.

In a statement released on Monday, the NCP (Maoist) has said that as the Girija Prasad Koirala government has not made any efforts to create the “minimum environment” required for the talks to take place as demanded by the Maoists, “it is not appropriate to send any representative of the party for talks”. The statement was issued by powerful general secretary of the party Prachanda.

However the Maoists have acknowledged the efforts made by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and also some human rights activists. The party has also acknowledged that it received the letter sent by the high level committee headed by Deuba to resolve the insurgency problem.

This comes as a great setback for Koirala, who had said that he would resolve the insurgency problem within three months of him becoming the Prime Minister. Koirala has already been criticised for not allowing Deuba to function with full power and now he is also embroiled in a power struggle with his own ministers and MPs. The announcement of Prachanda could not have come at a worse time for the Prime Minister, when he is facing a serious political crisis as well.

The worst aspect of the insurgency problem, is the rapidly break down of government presence in many parts of the country. Specially in the Maoist affected districts, the people don’t seem to know whom they should obey. Just last week, there was a report saying how the people in nearby Sindhupalchowk district, were having a problem regarding their security as several police posts had been abandoned.

Also alarming is the way people seem to be taking the law into their own hands, even when such a thing like a bus accident takes place. About a week back, an Indian bus was thrown into the Trishuli River on the Prithvi Highway, when it accidentally ran over a child.

Even Kathmandu bears a fortress like look during the evenings and the presence of police is intimidating, say many residents. Yet, the Maoists seem to hold their own meetings and even quick demonstrations even in such a tightly secured place.

It is high time Prime Minister Koirala and his security advisors come up with a tangible solution to the insurgency problem, which is dragging the nation down economically, socially and also politically. 

Tantrik Valley

By a staff reporter

Kathmandu is the abode of thousands of gods and goddesses.  The most unexpected nook and corner reveal generations old images, some simple and some intricately carved. Each image of god and goddess has its legend behind it. All around the year, some festival or the other take place, which the indigenous residents of the valley, the Newars celebrate. The rituals are age old and are scrupulously observed especially among the lower economic classes of the clan.

Tiny lanes with rows of houses built right next to each other suddenly open out into courtyards where there is almost inevitably, a small abode for a deity. Deities are a matter of fact here. For every problem you have, a deity exists, that has the power to get rid of it, if you are a believer and are willing to appease the deity.  Different characteristics of deities demand different rituals.

Animals sacrifice is one of the rituals in local festival.

Even a non-believer are most often than not, forced to admit that there do exist powers that these deities evoke. Tantrism is one of the powers that the practitioners of this line of calling on the powers, practice. It is a demanding line of study, the knowledge of which is handed down through generations, from a teacher to a disciple. The chosen person, or the representative of the deity once in trance exhibits the characteristics of the deity and does things that are not done by a normal human being.

In the Shree Kali dance that takes place once in 12 years, the representative, Shree Ajima takes the offering of a buffalo and drinks the warm blood (See pix). Once the person is out of trance, he feels perfectly fine and suffers no side effects of the things that he consumed while in trance.

In this religious ambiance, it would be difficult to imagine that there exists a flip side to it, the misusers of such powers. These brand of people use the powers to harm others they do not like. A scorned admirer could wreck vengeance on the person who did not respond positively to him or her. A rich family could be beset with unexplained sense of unease and uncanny incidents thanks to misdeeds of someone who is jealous of their wealth and happiness. A die-hard ambitious girl can cast an evil eye on her rich but reluctant boy friend and make him marry her over night. It is said all bad things boomerang but it seems these people only seek the short-term results of their wants and desires.

However, it has been seen that most non-believers, tired of coping with unusual incidents, unexplained unrest and so on, do seek out powers who can help them.  Self sought or recommended by others, these powers could be astrologers, Gubajus or Ajimas. Amazingly, they do pin point the problem and dispense remedies to cure the problems. The only explanation here could be that because of unquestioning faith that has been rooted into the culture of this valley, the strength of the power has not diminished. The power that we call god seems to exist here in many forms in many deities. One is greatly humbled by the thought. It is only a wonder that with so many powers vibrating here, Kathmandu has not been able to remain a peaceful haven that it once used to be.  Perhaps, it yet has to complete a full circle to be the way it once used to be in terms of tranquility and charm.

Syring sharing: Dangerous habits

By Bibek Bhatta

Syringe sharing rate among intravenous drug users (IDUs) is over 70 percent largely because 1 ml tidigesic or 1 ml syringe is not available. 20,000 out of 50,000 drug users in Nepal are IDUs and more than 50,000 drug users are in Kathmandu valley.

The need assessment survey - 16/17 March 2000 conducted by Youth Power Nepal (YPN) also shows the large demand for needle and syringe exchange by IDUs. Thus YPN demands the effective and easily accessed harm reduction methods to prevent IDUs from HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B. YPN voice for the fundamental rights of the IDUs to live without HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and their ‘choice of treatment’ and ‘care of health.’

Many experts suggested that appropriate treatment programme should be organised to prevent drug users’ death at an inauguration ceremony of  “Harm Reduction Advocacy Workshop on Drug Addiction and HIV/AIDS” organised by YPN. The workshop was organised for 105 local representatives from the valley.

The spokesman of supreme court, Kashi Raj Dahal stressed that the Drug Act and Narcotic Drug Act should be incorporated to bring  positive results. Michael Hahn, country programme advisor of UNAIDS said that the local and global commitments and joint forces can check the growing trend of drug abuse.

Present figure of HIV - prevalence rate in Nepal is estimated around 33,500 of which about 10,050 are IDUs. Half of the HIV-prevalence IDUs are below 29 years old and the age group 20-29 is the most affected in both drugs and HIV AIDS. Drugs injection is the pre dominant mode of HIV transmission through sharing contaminated needles and syringes.

According to YPN press release 30,000 non IDUs and 20,000 IDUs spend NRS 3,25,80,00,000 and NRS 1,30,32,00,000 on drugs respectively per year. Peer pressure, curiosity, frustration, uncertainty of job prospects and parents’ carelessness are the major factors which drive the youth - mostly male towards the drugs abuse which leads them to AIDS.

On the occasion it was also mentioned that the Ministry of Home Affairs has a strategy to decrease the demand of narcotic drugs through treatment and rehabilitation. Speakers at the programme urged the implementing bodies to be more responsible to solve the problem.

"Don't excavate sand around Kathmandu"

By a staff reporter

Nepal Consumers Forum (NCF) warned the Kathmandu District Development Committee (DDC) and other concerned authorities not to give permission to private parties to excavate sands from the rivers of the valley.

President of the NCF, Harendra Bahadur Shrestha expressed that responsible authority of the government is trying to destroy the valley’s cultural and natural heritages by taking such decision, at a press conference on August 7.

He said “We are requesting the DDC to revoke the decision but if they do not revoke such moves then they have to bear heavy losses in the next elections because it is an anti environmental decision.

White sands are the best sand to carry out building construction, infrastructure development works etc. The Changunarayan temple has already started to crack due to sand mining.

According to a press release issued by NCF, if DDC does not stop excavating sands from the river, it will effect the all bridges, temples etc. Sand is being taken out from Bagmati, Bishnumati, Dhobikhola, Mahadevkhola Manohara etc.

NCF has also filed a writ petition at the supreme court on August 4 when DDC made announcement calling tender bids.

Now, water, water everywhere

By Dhana Thapa

Kathmandu had been seeing a comparatively weak Monsoon this year. But when everyone thought heavy downpours for this year were over, the rains came down with a vengeance on Sunday and then also on Monday night.

Many suburban neighbourhoods in the City faced trouble with the water finding no outlet. Places like Samakhusi, Gairidhara, Maitidevi and Kumari Pati among others, saw rain water getting clogged at low placed areas and it was a common sight to see people wading through the murky waters.

There were even reports of several houses collapsing in Samakhusi and Gairidhara. Both fire brigade and police personnel could be seen pitching in to pump water away from homes which had been flooded.

But it was not that it had rained continuously for days, like it does during the Monsoon season. It rained only for about 12 hours or so on Sunday and even less on Monday. This should not have caused so much havoc.

However, the water clogging problem, is like many other ills the City is seeing in recent times, it is the manifestation of unplanned urbanisation.

Pollution, garbage, drinking water shortage and even the traffic jams, they are occurring because the planners in the government did not show any vision when there was still time.

While the bureaucrats and the city fathers erred drastically during the autocratic panchayat period, things never changed for the better when directly elected officials took over after the establishment of democracy.

Now with the NC running the government, a Mayor belonging to a party which does not have even a single elected MP (ML) is in office and he has as his Deputy a person who is with the main opposition party the CPN (UML),the arch enemy of the ML Things at Kathmandu’s City Hall couldn’t have been worse.

There are reports that the Local Development Ministry does not cooperate with the Mayor. Then there are also reports of how the Mayor and his Deputy do not even speak with each other. So it is no wonder that the chronic problems of Kathmandu are getting worse and no solutions seem in sight.

However to get back to the problem of flooding in different parts of the City because of the rains, the blame also goes to none other than those who have built houses without proper planning. For example in Samakhusi, not only have many people encroached very dangerously near the small rivulet that runs through the neighborhood, but many have also completely halted the traditional canals that crisscross the place.

Is it any wonder then, that many houses were flooded because the rain water could not find any outlet? The same holds true in other low lying places like Maitidevi and Gairidhara too.

It sends a shiver down one’s spine to think what might have happened if the present rains had come when the City was full of unpicked garbage? If nothing, at least the City would have turned into a dirty cauldron where viral infections or even epidemics could have struck with impunity.

Even though the waters have subsided   to a large extent, the sad part of this story is that the problems still exist and it could get worse next year or the year after that. Like they have learnt to live with problems like pollution and garbage, the residents of Kathmandu may now learn how to live in flood conditions during the heavy Monsoon period now and in the future.