Flare Up In The ME

By Purushottam Shrestha

The Middle East peace process is on the brink of collapse. Rising Palestinian deaths in skirmishes with Israeli troops, frustration among the Palestinian youths and the failure of international mediation to restore a just and durable peace have made the Middle East highly vulnerable and dangerous.

Since Ehud Barak came to power in Israel, some positive developments were seen in the peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He made several compromises with the Palestinians in a clear departure with past Israeli strategic thinking. Many political observers thought that peace would finally prevail in the Middle East though that would take some time.

But in recent months, things have gone quite contrary to the spirit of the peace process. The Israelis delayed the implementation of the Wei River accord, citing one constraint after another. They were simply not ready to make more land concessions to the Palestinians and began flexing their muscles against the Palestinians desperate to declare their independent state this year with Jerusalem as its capital.

Jerusalem has remained the ultimate bone of contention between the two adversaries. Israel has always claimed undivided Jerusalem as its united capital — a fact which has not gained recognition with the international community. All that the simmering mistrust and hatred between the two communities, bottled up through all these wary years of waiting for the Oslo peace process to succeed, needed to blow up was a short fuse to ignite the powder keg and this was inadvertedly provided by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon who undertook a visit to the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in east Jerusalem. This visit ignited the Jerusalem issue into the most serious confrontation between the Israelis and the Palestinians after the Intifada.

The violence that has swept the Gaza and West Bank for around two months has claimed more than 230 lives, most of them Palestinians. The Israeli attacks on the Palestinian cities continue. It has been reported that the Israeli tanks were blocking the road in several Palestinian territories preventing the passage of a UN convoy and other human rights personnel. International efforts to end the violence have failed to produce any substantial results.

The Palestinian authority has asked the United Nations for a deployment of UN peacekeeping force in the region to save the lives of Palestinians from Israeli attacks. But the Palestinian demand has failed to win the backing of the United States. US Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke said that Washington would object to any plan "unilaterally proposed without ever having been discussed by the other side."

Last week, Prime Minister Barak held talks with President Clinton in Washington, but the talks hit the wall. Deadly clashes and gunbattles flaring in the Palestinian territories cast a shadow over the Israeli Prime Minister’s talks with President Clinton who was eager to crown his presidency with the restoration of peace in the Middle East before he leaves office come January. It was an issue over which he had exerted his maximum time and efforts over the years.

Prime Minister Barak’s meeting with President Clinton coincided with an Islamic summit held in Doha, Qatar. The Islamic meeting recommended breaking relations with Israel and threatened to break off relations with any country that transfers its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem or recognizes the holy city as Israel’s capital.

US special envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross, made his nth diplomatic tour of Gaza last week to mediate between the two warring sides. Russian Foreign Minister Iganov also held talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, but none of the efforts seemed to have worked. Israeli forces have intensified their attacks against the Palestinians. They have attacked and destroyed Arafat’s office and even a Palestinian hospital.

Political observers see great danger in the Middle East. The continued clashes resulting in hundreds of Palestinian deaths have sharply weakened the authority of Palestinian leader Arafat. Many of the Palestinians no more believe that Arafat’s policy is going to work with the Israelis. There is real danger of the rise of Palestinian extremism in Middle East politics.

In this vulnerable situation, there seems little hope that talks would any time soon bring peace in the Middle East. With the Clinton presidency about to fade in history’s sunset and Arafat fast losing his grip on authority against the hawks, the future path looks unchartable.

The Israelis are also losing patience with the unending daily clashes and are acting tough against the Palestinians. An Israeli cabinet minister warned that the government’s policy of restraint against Palestinian violence couldn’t continue. He warned that the Israeli army could further tighten its blockade around the territories which prevent the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza strip from travelling to Israel and between Palestinian-run cities.

Militarily, there is simply no match between Israel and the Palestinian authority. But Israel is facing an adversary who has seemingly reached a stage where he doesn’t given a damn to his own life. How long can the Israelis afford to fight a war of attrition against a determined Palestinian population? These people, born and grown up in war, are now willing to die in war. They think that they have simply nothing to lose - and this is a dangerous notion.

SLING SHOTS

Harsh reality

AFTER a hectic period of activities in celebrating the festivals of Dashain and Tihar, we’re back again but on a different and rather harsh reality. Kerosene and gas prices have certainly affected the households in general. The prime concern is that now the forests will be more at the receiving end being the source of fuel wood. A recent news item has it that in one area of Bardiya district, people running the so-called hotels have thrown their kerosene stoves and have opted for cutting down trees from the adjacent forest. Isn’t that an indication how much we depend on kerosene and the price hike has naturally created a sort of crisis as far as the conservation of forest is concerned. (PNK)

Right Decision?

History was made last week when the grouping of nine leftist parties, supported by other major opposition parties, called off the bandh they had planned for two days on Thursday and Friday. The bandh was averted after the government backed down and decrease the price of kerosene on its eve. While this brought much relief to tourism and business entrepreneurs, we need to ask, did the government do the right thing? Protesters in the future could very well use bandhs as a bargaining chip to get political mileage. (BLS)

Brooms Don’t Work

A major concern for Kathmanduites has been the growing environmental degradation in the Kathmandu Valley. Even environmentalists have been shouting hoarse that air, noise and water pollution have adversely affected the people’s health including the mental part. Yet another health hazard in the form of dust pollution has emerged much to the discomfiture of all. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has hundreds of sweepers who are supposed to work to keep the city neat and clean. But it seems their work further pollutes the city as they just stir the dust and they do not gather and dispose it in a proper manner. Isn’t there any mechanism to monitor how efficiently they work? (BMD)

A Different Bandh!

IT wasn't Saturday or Sunday. Nor any government holiday. But on Thursday and Friday almost all schools and campuses virtually remained closed. Till midnight the nation had a feeling that there would be Nepal Bandh for two days in a row to protest POL price hikes. But only a few came to learn about it at the eleventh hour that the government had agreed to reduce the price of kerosene to Rs. 22. Yet the streets were less crowded with few vehicles plying on the roads. Maybe it was a bandh of a different sort! (KPS)

CAMPUS CORNER

THE last three centuries have witnessed a tremendous advancement in the field of science and technology that have brought about drastic changes in the human civilisation. The 18th century was the time of great mechanical system accompanying the Industrial Revolution. The 19th was the age of steam engine, whereas the 20th Century known as the age of information technology (IT).

Although the innovation of computer is a recent phenomenon compared to other inventions, this field has made a considerable progress. So, the essence of computer education and its application to the field of modern technology cannot be ignored. The country that has an easy access to the world through information technology can now be considered as the most civilised one. This is because the importance of IT is becoming higher worldwide these days.Considering the overwhelming application of computer system in the day-to-day life, and rapid development, different types of computer education to cope with different needs are being introduced today.

Several private schools inside the Kathmandu Valley and some schools outside the Valley have already started computer education classes for the post primary and secondary grades. But the government-owned schools are not even found thinking of introducing such classes. However, efforts seem to have made in this regard. During the budget speech, the government had announced to start computer education at school level. Despite this, majority of school students are deprived of computer facility. Most of the SLC level students, especially in the urban areas, seem to be interested in taking the basic package courses on computer. Due to the demand from a large number of people, the number of computer institutes has mushroomed tremendously;y. Now you can see such institutes in all the nooks and corners of Kathmandu. But a common complaint has been that the computer institutes are not providing quality education to the trainees as they have been established with the sole purpose of making money. There are many people who have learnt computer but they cannot find jobs because they are not competitive.

The computer training institutes seem to offer basically two types of courses— short-term courses and long-term ones. The short-term courses range from a few weeks to months. The long-term courses range from a few months to years. But due to reliable institutes, many aspirants are not able to take computer training.

Keeping in mind the condition of computer education in the country, the government needs to introduce computer education at the school level immediately. And it has also to monitor the quality of the computer institutes. Otherwise, it may emerge as a big problem in the days to come.

Ram Krishna Bista
Sukuna Multiple College
Indrapur, Morang.

Speaking From Within

By Our Correspondent

It is not necessary for one to verbally speak while expressing his/her sorrows, sufferings, hopes, beliefs, frustrations and fears. Photography, painting and writing can speak out the inner feelings.

With a view to enabling the children of Bhutanese refugees living in the seven camps of Jhapa and Morang districts to express their pains, hopes and frustrations, a UK-based organisation, PhotoVoice, has provided them a forum. The exhibition entitled "Voices with Vision" is being organised at Baggikhana, Patandhoka, from November 15-22.

Altogether 30 students who have lived over half their lives as refugees have on display their photographs, paintings and writings. Of the total students, 12 have photographs, 10 have paintings and the rest writings.

Says Tiffany Fairey of PhotoVoice, who has stayed in Nepal for some years, "We have coordinated the programme to give the refugee students a chance to express their views and problems."

The photographs, paintings and writings will be exhibited in Britain. "Many people in our country will know about the Bhutanese refugee problem once we organise the exhibition there," she said.

According to her, the mobilisation of students to such works and the exhibition of their arts in Britain could assist in the repatriation of the refugees.

The students, who come from the Rose Class that was established in 1998 by PhotoVoice, have been successful in presenting their inner feelings in an effective manner. Their arts that depict the mental and physical conditions of the entire Bhutanese refugees really touched the hearts of everyone who visited the exhibition hall.

The Rose Class is a project that is working with the Bhutanese refugee students from Beldangi refugee camps in Jhapa. The Rose Class, a non-governmental organisation, was set up with a view to creating awareness about the Bhutanese refugees worldwide by enabling the refugee students to express their views clearly.

PhotoVoice acts to promote the work of the refugee students to both local and international audiences through exhibitions, newsletters, mainstream media and the internet.

Devi Charan Pokhrel, a refugee student, affiliated to the Rose Class, said they learnt a lot about communication skills. "We have been able to run a magazine by expressing our views and the situation of the refugees in the camps," Pokhrel said.