Encephalitis

By Our Correspondent

News reports that appeared in some newspapers regarding the spread of Japanese encephalitis in various districts of the country have worried tourism entrepreneurs, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division under the Department of Health Services has clarified that the disease has not been reported in Kaski, Chitwan, Kavrepalanchowk, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Sindhupalchowk districts.

"Only one third Japanese encephalitis cases have been recorded this year compared to the figures of last year. Banke and Kailali districts alone are the most affected districts," said Dr. Mahendra Bahadur Bista, Director at Epidemiology and Disease Control Division.

Dr. Bista also stressed that the visiting travellers need not worry while travelling to districts other than Banke and Kailali. He also said the disease will be controlled completely within a fortnight with the weather becoming cooler even in the encephalitis-affected areas

Tourism Business Looking Up

By BMD

Despite a downward trend in tourist arrivals witnessed during the last eight months this year, the country’s major air operators, hoteliers, travel and trekking agents are optimistic that the on-going autumn season will yield good business. The autumn season that begins from September and lasts till November is considered the best time of the year as far as Nepal’s tourism business is concerned.

Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC), the country’s national flag carrier that is often criticized for its unreliable and irregular services, has also projected good business for this season. RNAC operates more than 40 flights a week to 12 different destinations in nine countries of Asia and Europe.

According to Mohan Prasad Khanal, Director of the External and Public Affairs Division of RNAC, the airline’s ticket bookings are very encouraging for the present season.

Khanal said RNAC will be operating two flights a week from October 29 this year to the Indian city of Bangalore, a potential tourist generating market for Nepal. The south Indian city is the core of India’s booming information technology (IT) industry.

Although the number of visitors from India went down drastically in the first seven months of this year following the cancellation of Indian Airlines flights in the wake of the hijacking of its plane in December last year, they are back. And their numbers are expected to increase in the present season with RNAC and Indian Airlines operating almost 40 flights weekly between the two countries. Indian tourists account for nearly 33 per cent of total tourist arrivals.

N. N. Hazara of Indian Airlines says that all the IA flights to Kathmandu from Delhi, Benaras and Calcutta have been fully booked from October. The airline operates seven flights and five flights a week to Kathmandu from Delhi and Benaras and Calcutta respectively.

Considering the growing demand, Thai Airways that has been flying to Kathmandu for more than three decades is operating the 358-seater Boeing 777 aircraft.

"Ticket booking is looking excellent from October. Until now, the trend is positive," Martin Lama, District Sales Manager of Thai Airways, said.

Gautam Das Shrestha, Managing Director of Hotel Sherpa, said his business is looking good for November. "Although October is also not that bad."

Bhola Bickram Thapa, President of Nepal Association of Travel Agents, says that the inflow of visitors is expected to increase during autumn with Nepalese travel agents receiving positive response from foreign tour operators and holiday makers.

Thapa, who is also the Managing Director of President Travels that represents Gulf Air in Nepal, informed that all the scheduled flights of Gulf Air to and from Kathmandu are fully booked from September to November.

"Since it is high season, all the flights of different airlines operating to and from Nepal are full. RNAC should also have planned increased flights to different destinations to bring in more visitors."

Seeing the potential, many foreign international airlines operating scheduled flights to and from Kathmandu are increasing their flights numbers from this month. Those starting additional flights to Kathmandu during this season include Gulf Air, Singapore Airlines, Transavia and Qatar Air.

But airliners and other tourism entrepreneurs fear that the growing Maoist insurgency and the problems of garbage and epidemics could have a detrimental impact on tourism.

Ang Tshering Sherpa, Managing Director of Asian Trekking and member of Nepal Tourism Board, said his company’s business may go up by 14 per cent during this autumn compared to the corresponding period in 1999. This is a result of intensive marketing in the international market.

Under cutting of price is hurting the tourism industry badly. And the only way to discourage unhealthy competition is to conduct marketing and promotional activities in the world’s tourism market to bring in more visitors.

Draft Of IT Policy Ready

By Krishna Shrestha

Finally, the draft of the Information Technology (IT) Policy 2000, also called the Communication and Information Policy of the country, is ready, and it is under the consideration of the cabinet. However, it is still a long way before the commitments made in the policy materialise. The government has to approve the IT policy and promulgate a cyber law. Yet the draft is a breakthrough as it is the first time since computers were introduced in the country 30 years ago that the government has shown seriousness in formulating an IT-related policy.

According to a source at the National Planning Commission, the policy should be approved after Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala returns from the United Nations Millennium Summit being held in New York at the moment.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the vision of the policy is to establish Nepal as a major IT country in South Asia in the next five years.

For a country like Nepal, the IT sector offers tremendous potential. With both VSAT (very small aperture terminal) and the Internet readily available, landlockedness or geographical diversity pose no obstacles to the development of this sector. Besides, Nepal has had some experience exporting software to even highly developed countries like the USA, Japan and Germany.

Nepal began exporting software to the USA in the early 1980s. And in a major development, Unlimited, a major software developing company of Nepal, has just completed a software development project for a customer in Germany.

Yet the performance of Nepal's IT sector is far from satisfactory. Compared to other countries in the region, it is even disappointing. Nepal had begun exporting software long before India. But India has emerged as an IT power house in South Asia, capturing a big chunk of the global IT market. Nepal has a lot of catching up to do.

Nepal had announced that it would establish an Information Technology Park about six years back. But nothing has been done so far, although more than 100 ropanis of land has been acquired at Banepa for the purpose. In the current fiscal year, the government has, however, shown some commitment by allocating Rs. 40 million for the project, raising hopes of IT entrepreneurs.

For the development of the IT sector in the country, Nepalese IT entrepreneurs and officials had for a long time been demanding for an IT policy. A draft if finally ready, which IT professionals and entrepreneurs feel is a big achievement in itself, although there are many shortcomings in it.

"At a time when no IT policy exists in the country, something is better than nothing," says Lochan Lal Amatya, President of the Computer Association of Nepal (CAN).

An optimistic Amatya says that the objectives mentioned in the policy draft sounds very good. "But the government’s initiative alone will not suffice. The private sector should also come forward."

Dr. Shankar Sharma, member of the National Planning Commission, is optimistic as well.

"We have been taking some concrete measures for its development. Tribhuvan University has opened a computer department. The Asia Pacific Development Information Programme has shown interest in supporting Nepal. Other things are also progressing. As far as the draft policy is concerned, we can tune it as per our needs," says Dr. Sharma.

The draft states that the IT policy can be amended every two years.

If the policy is adopted as it is, a necessary legal framework will be created to regulate transactions done through computers and to protect intellectual property.

The policy aims at making information technology accessible to the general public, strengthening the economy through it and helping in poverty alleviation and women empowerment and finally maintaining good governance in the country.

According to the ministry, the draft policy has spelled out nine strategies for this. Accordingly, the government will play the role of facilitator, promoter and to some extent regulator. The information technology sector will be developed and expanded with high priority given to the participation of the private sector. With the involvement of the government as well as the private sector, skilled manpower will be developed for the sustainable development and expansion of information technology. Foreign investments will be promoted and e-commerce legalised.

Information technology will be used at an optimum level for rural sector development, says the draft policy. The IT sector will be developed as an import substituting and export-oriented sector. An environment for healthy competition among IT service providers will be created for fast and qualitative services. And, IT will be used to achieve good governance in the country.

To achieve these objectives, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the information technology sector will be announced as a priority sector and special incentives will be given for the development of this sector.

An one window system will be introduced for the development of the IT industry. Internet facility will be gradually provided in all the districts of the country. A private-sector friendly environment will be created. All the government offices will be computerised and information of all the government offices will be disseminated through websites.

For hardware and software development, a Virtual Information Technology Park is to be established in various parts of the country. Use of the internet will be encouraged to promote e-commerce, e-education, tele-health and technology transfer in the rural areas. A National Information Technology Centre will be established. Venture capital fund will be created with the joint efforts of the public and private sectors.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the government has taken the initiative to draft cyber laws. "The bill will possibly be presented in the next session of parliament," says a reliable source in the Ministry of Science and Technology.

It is also learnt that the government has been considering levying different telecommunication tariffs to IT users and general users.

Historical Events

1971 Use of second-generation main frame computer (IBM 1401) for the first time in Nepal. It was used for national census of 1971. The computer was rented by Central Bureau of Statistics

1974 Electronic Data Processing Center (EDPC) established

1980 EDPC converted into National Computer Centre (NCC)

1981 His Majesty’s Government brought another main frame computer (ICL 2950/10) for the national census of 1981

1982 An American Company Data System International established with the objective of software development and export. The company exported software mainly to US Federal Government projects

1982-87 Computer education and training to about 20 staff of NCC in different programmes

1982 Introduction of Apple microcomputer – first participation of private sector in computer application and training

1982 NCC established training unit

1990 NCC bought a Mini computer "Prime 4050"

1993-94 Mercantile Office System launched Internet services for the first time in the country. Today, number of ISP has reached 11. Number of internet users is about 9,000. If the e-mail falicity is included the number touches about 30,000.

1994 Kathmandu University started B.E. in computer engineering

1996 Government conceptualised setting up a Technology Park

1997 Government announced ISP Regulations

1998 Government amended Intellectual Property Rights Act

1998 World Bank conducted a study and revealed that IT could be the largest export industry with possibility of reaching annual export of US$ 1 billion in 15-20 years

1998 National Computer Centre dissolved

1998 Government constituted a high-level committee, headed by Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC) Prithvi Raj Ligal to work out a long-term plan on IT and mobilize economic and technological resources for it

1999 Study conducted with the help from UNDP and draft report on IT Strategy for Nepal, Preliminary Assessment and Recommendations submitted

1999 Nepal launched various programmes related to Y2K

2000 Nepal rolled over successfully

Love Affair Overshadows Politics

By Our Correspondent

Replicating historical events on celluloid, without any distortion, is difficult. So it has happened with Basanti, a feature film based on Diamond Shumsher’s historical novel bearing the same name. It is the story of the dawn of the Rana regime and the fall of Gagan Singh because of his deep love and affection for Basanti.

Despite the success of Prem Pinda, the first historical film directed by Yadav Kharel, Basanti is unlikely to click.

The movie has virtually turned a damper as far as the expectations of the audience in general are concerned. An audience who is not familiar with Diamond's river novels, namely Basanti, is likely to get lost in the maze.

More time is devoted to explaining and displaying the love scenes of Gagan Singh and Basanti (played by Rajesh Hamal and Karishma Manandhar) than telling the political history which forms the backdrop.

While the first half of the movie talks about the love affair between the principal characters, the political story hurriedly advances in the second half lacking coherence that is so essential in a movie that tries to bring to life an important chapter of Nepalese history.

The story is about Gagan Singh, a Kazi in the Royal Palace, who falls in love with Basanti, a married woman whose man has gone to India. Gagan convinces Basanti's parents and brings her to the palace premises. Later, she is taken to Basantbag, at Kakani, promising to take her as his wife to the palace after situations improve.

But the expected favourable situation does not arrive for Gagan Singh and finally he is killed by Jung Bahadur Rana who was initially very loyal to him. A desperate Basanti then accompanies her husband to the burning pyre (sati).

The greatest weakness of the movie is not giving adequate focus to politics which is deemed necessary.

As far as performance is concerned, there are no fingers to point to at any of the characters involved. All of them have delivered their best to portray the role of the historical characters.

The only thin line between the success and failure of the movie lies in the poor combination of plots and sub-plots and their narration.

It would have been a good presentation had both politics and love been given equal importance. Greater priority on the love theme has had the undesirable effect of relaying the message weakly.

But Diamond Shumsher acknowledges that it was the love affair between the two that provided the stimulus for intrigues and lent support to the then political turmoil. All this ends in the bloody Kote massacre that brings Jung Bahadur Rana to limelight in Nepal’s then political horizon.

The movie is all set to be screened in the cinema halls of the valley this week. The premiere of the movie was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba last week at the auditorium of the Russian Culture Centre.

Meanwhile, New Century Pictures, the makers of Basanti, is all set to film "Nabhana Malai Narou" (Don’t Tell Me Not To Cry).

Who Is Waging The War Again?

By Our Correspondent

THE insurgency raged by the Maoists in different parts of the kingdom that has already claimed more than 1,400 lives in the past four years is hot topic these days. And Sarwanam, an alternative theatre group, has chosen this theme to mark the 19th anniversary of street dramas in Nepal.

Since Tuesday, Sarwanam-- which has become synonymous with the Nepalese street drama movement -- has been staging at various places of the Kathmandu valley KO Gardaichha Pheri Yudhha Ko Ghosana? (Who is Waging War Again?). The play is directed by notable dramatist Ashesh Malla.

The play centers itself in asking basically two questions, who is waging the so-called people's war in the far western and hilly regions of the country and why.

The theatre Group on Tuesday launched its festival by staging the show at the Basantapur Dabali. The Group has also staged the drama at Jawalakhel, Patan Durbar Square, Tri-Chandra College and Baneshwor.

The artistes in the play are Ommani Sharma, Krishna Kandel, Kishor Pahadi, Badri Khanal, Suresh Chandra Pokharel, Radha Shrestha, Shiromani Dawadi, Murari Lamichhane, Thaneshwor Sapkota, Anup Khadka, Laxmi Napit, Devendra Khadka and others.

The group is also staging the drama at Bhaktapur Durbar Square and it will also stage the play, which pleads for peace in the war-ridden regions, at the premises of Padma Kanya Campus.