COMMENT

By-elections like referendum

Just over one week remains before the final three by-elections for the House of Representatives take place. For both the ruling Nepali Congress and the main opposition party the CPN (UML), the elections in the three constituencies are prestigious ones. The three constituencies don’t have any Member of Parliament in the 205 member House of Representatives because these constituencies were vacated by leaders who won in two constituencies each in the last General Election. As can be expected, all the winners were top level leaders of the concerned parties and thus it is a prestige issue for them to ensure their respective party’s candidate win. If the Nepali Congress president vacated the Morang Constituency No: 1 seat, then UML General Secretary Madhav Nepal and another top level leader K.P. Sharma Oli vacated the constituencies in Rautahat and Jhapa respectively. Quite naturally all the leaders want to show how much support they have in their respective “strongholds”. It will be a major gain for any party, if it can wrest away a seat from the other, though it is the Nepali Congress which has the advantage as it is in power.

However, the ruling Nepali Congress must also remember that the three by-elections are almost like a referendum on the party’s government’s performance. If the party is not able to win even one seat away from the main opposition, then it will mean the people are not satisfied with it. If it loses even in Morang, which is considered the home of Congress president Koirala and even of the party itself, then there will have to be serious rethinking about the government’s way of functioning. It must also be taken into account that the government gave a very strong issue on a platter to the opposition by hiking the price of basic essentials like electricity, kerosene, diesel and even water. This has made it easier for the opposition parties, specially the UML, to point out the “lack of thoughtfulness” of the present government regarding the people’s woes. And in some ways they are right in accusing the government of heaping on more burdens on the people when life was already hard for them. Thus the people will be justified if they vote for the opposition. Still, more than winning or losing, it is crucial that the elections are held in a peaceful and free manner and this responsibility also lies with the government.

Stop politics in media

Representatives of journalists from all over the country will elect the executive committee of the apex body of Nepalese media people, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) on coming Saturday. The old executive committee finished its two years term and the annual general convention of FNJ is the time when election for the new executive body takes place. However in spite of the tall promises that have been made by the top candidates, three so far, there is little hope that he new executive committee will be any different from the ones that have been there before. Such a pessimistic view comes from the fact that the two top candidates are contesting as a “Democrat”, read Nepali Congress, candidate and a Left forces candidate respectively. But what professional development can one expect when journalists become so blatant in showing their political colours? One other candidate has called himself a “professional”, but this is also hard to believe, considering his political inclination in the past. He could be contesting as a “professional”, just because he was not made the “official” candidate by his party. The development this time for the Left journalists is that they have come under one umbrella in spite of their differences. Before, the UML candidate was not backed by journalists who supported the ML or other more extreme Left parties. But perhaps having tasted defeat in the previous election, they have changed their strategy. For the “democratic” candidate, the going is tough this time, because his vote is likely to be cut by the “professional” journalist, who also has supporters among the “democrats”. Of course there is still time for them to compromise and for one of them to pull out.

But what is of concern for real professional journalists is that this is not the way the interests and welfare of the Nepalese media will be achieved. However, one interesting point is that the so called professionals will also have to join in and be active in FNJ activities and its elections if they want to see improvements being made. Watching from the sidelines and criticising will not improve matters. For now, all one can hope for is that things will improve in the future and Nepalese journalists will stop looking at their profession from a political angle.

End the Silence-Learn, Listen, Live

-By Mark Malloch Brown

Over 34 million people around the world are living with HIV and AIDS, the majority in developing countries, where infection rates continue to rise. Hundreds of millions are directly affected. HIV/AIDS threatens not only the health and well-being of people living with HIV and AIDS, and those close to them, but also their human rights and dignity.

The epidemic has been recognised as a crisis of “catastrophic” proportions in Africa, south of the Sahara. With just 10 per cent of the world’s population, over two-thirds of people living with HIV and AIDS make their home in this region. HIV-related illnesses are placing enormous stress on families and households. Family income and savings are being diverted to pay for medical care, funerals and support to extended family members who have lost young adults to the epidemic. Children are leaving school to care for dying parents or because families can no longer afford school fees and other family members are leaving jobs to care for the sick. The epidemic is decreasing the pool of qualified teachers, health professionals, business people, civil servants. In some countries, it is estimated that between one-quarter and one-half of the total personnel in specific sectors such as education, health and the military, will have died within the next five to 10 years.

Indeed, some of the most striking images of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are of families, but of unfamiliar families: grandparents surrounded by children; teenagers heading households, caring for younger brothers, sisters, cousins; children tending ill and dying parents and communities of children without parents. It is estimated that within the coming decade some 40 million children will have lost their parents to AIDS in Africa. This epidemic is creating new poverty and deepening existing poverty. Present needs as well as the intergenerational effects of HIV and AIDS on children and society need to be urgently addressed.

In other regions of the world such as Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and Eastern Europe/CIS infection rates continue to rise as well. Despite considerable efforts to respond to the epidemic within nations and globally, it is clear that current responses must be accelerated and expanded on an urgent basis.

Low levels of awareness of the various dimensions of the epidemic continue to co-exist with attitudes of denial and indifference. These attitudes persist at practically all levels of decision-making within countries and regions and internationally, and impede the implementation of urgent measures required to respond to the epidemic in its various dimensions.

There have been initial successes in those countries which have adopted policies and implemented programmes that promote multisectoral approaches; which encourage partnerships and alliances between government and civil society,  which minimize discrimination and address factors that intensify vulnerability; which support the creation of an “enabling” political and social environment to respond to the health and well-being of their citizens.

Inclusive policies and programmes can help to ensure that those affected by HIV/AIDS will not be marginalised or trapped in an endless cycle of poverty. Such approaches and actions can ensure that the voices of those affected, of the vulnerable in society, can be heard and seen as a source of ideas and solutions rather than a problem.

It is not possible for any one country or organisation to know how to deal with every challenge posed by the epidemic. Strategic partnerships that cross borders, disciplines, and diverse spheres of activity are needed to address both the immediate needs of the epidemic as well as those required to strengthen development systems to cope with the social and economic consequences of HIV/AIDS. Strong leadership, bold action, compassion and solidarity are required if effective strategies against HIV/AIDS are to be implemented in all countries. These challenges can be met if strategic decisions are made to re-examine national and international policies and strategies now. r

(The above is a statement given by the UNDP Administrator on the occasion of World AIDS Day, Dec 1.)

Tibetan Buddhism

Book: Some Tibetan Buddhist Monastries of Nepal (First Edition, November, 1999). Written by: Prajash A Raj. Published by: Nabeen Publications. Prited at: Hillside Press, Kathmandu. No. of Pages: 64. Price: Rs. 200 in Nepal and US $ 5 in other countries.

A large number of Buddhist monasteries are scattered in different parts of Nepal. A vast majority of them belong to different orders of Tibetan Buddhism. According to data provided by Ministry of Local Development, there are more than 1500 monasteries in Nepal. Beside that, a large number of new monasteries are presently under construction in and around the Kathmandu valley.

In the presented book, writer Prakash A Raj, co-author of the award winner book “India-A Travel Survival Kit,” has tried to enlist, categorize and describe about the Tibetan monasteries operating in Nepal. In addition to that, the author has also described about the historic Buddhas and guardian deities worshipped by the Tibetan Buddhists as well as by others.

In the first chapter of the book, the author has described about the rise and fall of Buddhism in India and Nepal. Buddhism disappeared from much of India by the thirteenth century due to Moslem invasion in that country. However, in Nepal, Buddhist Newars living in Kathmandu and other ethnic groups like Sherpas, Gurungs and Tamangs basically living in the northern part of the country continued to practice it. All these ethnic groups were responsible for building monasteries of different types at various places in Nepal.

The Tibetan refugees, who entered Nepal since 1950s, most of whom are well off people and involved in carpet or tourism business, are also responsible for building large number of monasteries. Many of these monasteries also offer courses for the study of Tibetan Buddhism.

The book has classified these monasteries into four categories according to the four main sects in Tibetan Buddhism, namely, Ningmapa, Kagyugpa, Sakyapa and Geluka. The author has also categorized 1250 out of 1500 Buddhist monasteries as Ningmapa monasteries.

The book was written only in the latter half of 1999 when the author undertook several field visits to those monasteries. He had also interviewed a large number of Lamas and took references from various books before writing this book. However, at many places the book seemed to be written in haste and not well organized. r

--Reviewed by NV

Talk Back

Pedestrian friendly policies please

I am responding to your Nov. 3 Tattler (5th one) on “old habits.” If your paper wants to go “beneath + beyond,” you should look at transportation overall:

A vast majority of Nepalis cannot afford private automobiles; most vehicles and fuel are imported; building overhead bridges make life easier for drivers and harder for walkers. Many elderly and disabled people have trouble climbing stairs.

Rather than regarding walking as an ‘old habit,” I would suggest a pedestrian friendly policies.

Install traffic lights giving drivers and walkers equal time, ban motor vehicles from city streets which do not have sidewalks, build side walks, make some streets one-way; develop hydro and solar electricity and use it in trolley and cable cars. Apply strict licensing fees for private automobiles in the city based on size and fuel consumption, with a maximum rate or 10% (per year) of sale price, use the funds to build trolleys, enforce emissions controls, plant bushes to absorb fumes, sweep dust off the streets, require cycle rickshaws to display fare charts, establish bicycle parking spaces, borrow Swiss technologies for cleaning air and building rails and perhaps give them a monopoly on chocolate sales in return. r

Christy Lanel 
P.O.Box: 1048, Bostn MA 0247-1048 
USA.