So, you’re a foo’ball suppor’er

By Anjan Parajuli

Football has been associated with violence since it began in thirteenth century Europe. Most of the medieval matches had hundreds of players. As soon as the match would start it was almost obvious that violence would erupt any time during the match. The violence would occur on the pitch between the men of rival villages and towns. The matches were often used as an opportunity to settle old feuds, personal arguments and land disputes.

A much more improved form of the game was introduced in Europe in the early 1900s but the violence associated with it did not stop and it still prevails in almost all the countries of the world where football is played. The European countries are the ones that have been affected mostly by football violence. The only period in which Britain has been free from violence was the inter-war years and the decade following the Second World War. Some kind of disorderly behaviour has occurred in every country where football is played and it seems inevitable in the game.

Football related disorder is not of the same nature or influenced by the same casual factors in all the cultures where it occurs. Social class has been the main cause of violence in Britain. Similarly Sub-nationalist politics in Spain, historical regional antagonism in Italy and so on. However, there are several similarities between the violence occurring in different countries. The initial stage of violence is directed at referees and players. Second stage is the violence between opposing fans and the security officials inside the stadium. The third stage of violence is the violence between the opposing fans outside the stadium.

The European countries have been experiencing the violence related to football to the greatest extent. The violence seems to occur mostly in the club level matches. Supporters of the national team abroad are better behaved, the English being the exceptions to this rule. The rivalry of English fans with Germany and Netherlands has led to violence in several occasions. It has been seen that the fans cause trouble at away matches than supporting teams at home. The most significant violence problem has been seen in European countries like England, Italy, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. The problems of football have also been seen at Austria, Sweden and Denmark but in a relatively smaller scale. A new style of nonviolent fan culture is gaining popularity that has been promoted by ‘Roligans’ (Rolig meaning peaceful). In Asian countries this sort of problem occurs only once in a blue moon. In Nepal, violence has sometimes occurred between opposing fans or even between the two teams. The latest example was the violence between the fans of Army Club and Police, the two teams considered to have a never-ending rivalry in the history of Nepalese football. The SAF football championship in Kathmandu also experienced violence involving the players from Sri-Lanka and Maldives. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) penalized two Sri-Lankan players along with a Maldivian official.

Football violence is a fully visible phenomenon as journalists and TV cameras are present in virtually every match. Since 1960, journalists have been sent to football matches to report on the crowd behaviour as much as they do on the game itself. The British press has been criticized for their ‘xenophobic’ approach to the coverage of international matches. The tendency was apparent in EURO ’96 when at least one newspaper was reported to represent the England-Germany match as a resumption of World War II. Football fans seem to have a tendency of seeking publicity. The violence has been greatly covered in newspapers. But there have emerged some groups like the ‘Tartan Army’ in Scotland and the ‘Roligans’ in Denmark who have adopted a different type of nonviolent fan behavior and have been getting extensive as well as highly positive coverage which has been seen as a victory over the bad behaved rivals.

Racism among football fans is also a major problem. Racism is greatly blamed for the outbreak of violence in International matches. Racism has been seriously taken as a cause of football violence. In the 1970s and 1980s black players were greeted with monkey-noises and bananas. This has declined in recent years thanks to campaigns like "Lets kick racism out of football". Other anti-racism campaigns like "When racism wins, football loses" in Netherlands and " All Different, All Equal", a Europe wide initiative, have also been launched.

It may be a surprise to many of us that alcohol has very little impact on hooliganism. Some studies have shown that excess drinking may aggravate violence but they have less evidence to support it. Scottish fans are heavy drinkers but their behavior has changed drastically in the last 10 years. The ‘Roligans’ have the same drinking pattern as English fans but cause no problems to the security officials. So, it has been concluded that the role of alcohol in football hooliganism has very little impact.

Different countries have taken different approaches to tackle violence. England has introduced a specific legislation to cover hooliganism acts. Countries like Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands have started fan coaching schemes. There are local ‘fan-forums’ that allow contact between officials and supporters which may help in reducing hooliganism.

As games are to be played in harmony and for entertainment we should always try to avoid any sort of violence in it. Let's work for it, it will be good for all the sports professionals as well as the sports fans.

Notes on a massacre

By Satish Jung Shahi

The June 1, 2001 macabre drama that swiftly waved through the country leaving many things in the doldrums, at least for a short while, is certainly one thing that will remain embedded upon many a Nepali's mind.

Neelesh Misra’s book on the Narayanhity Royal Palace massacre, one of the first books to be published on the incident, should at least help clear the clouds of what actually happened on that dreadful night and the lives affected by the tragedy.

End of the Line - the story of the killings of the Royals in Nepal, is an excellent collector’s item and an interesting easy read that makes one recall the famous government report that compiled how eyewitnesses recalled how Nepal’s once "most eligible bachelor" turned the bullets on his own family members for the love of his life.

However, the book may turn out to be a disappointment for those seeking the conspiracy theories that followed the tabloid press immediately after the massacre. The key theory the book maintains, just like the eyewitnesses in the government report, is that it was the then Crown Prince Dipendra who pumped the bullets that changed history in this Himalayan Kingdom.

Plus, it contains just a few glossy pictures that might be worth keeping for all kinds of readers. But still, the book is an interesting treat and at times very revealing too, giving even Nepalis a peep into the history of the country.

The book sticks to much of the facts and is mostly an English version of the statements made public by Rajiv Shahi, one of the survivors of the incident, as well as the famous government inquiry that had closed the chapter on the Royal killings and had left the Speaker of the House "smiling and brandishing" the weapons found after the massacre.

At one point, the writer even goes on arguing that journalists mistranslated then Regent and now King Gyanendra as saying the Nepali word ‘aakasmik’ - sudden - as ‘accidental’ during his first statement that described the reasons behind the killings as "a discharge of an automatic weapon" and which came after an agonizing long wait.

Nonetheless, as an Associated Press correspondent, who was also here in the country to cover the national tragedy, Misra has an edge over massacre writings by other authors. As a journalist, who has been following the turn-of-events then, he presents a clear picture of what also followed after the massacre. The curfew and the demonstrations, depicted in the book cover, are nicely done.

The writer also claims to have interviewed more than 100 people including palace insiders, royal family relatives, eyewitnesses, closest friends of the then crown prince, and close relatives of Devyani Rana, during his month-long research for the book.

Definitely, the book also contains additional information on the life of then Crown Prince Dipendra as well as slight references to Devyani's school days in Welham’s, Dehradun , the woman, whom the writer describes as "the worst victim of Nepal’s Royal massacre." From the rendezvous of the couple at the pizza place to the last conversations on the phone, the chapter "A Prince in Love" gives some details of the two lovers not yet known to the public.

The book also contains excerpts of an interview in reply by Maoist leader Prachanda on the rebel’s views on the massacre. However, it contains nothing new to what has been appearing in the press so far.

Another interesting chapter on the book is a reflection on the centuries-old juggernaut of royal tragedies that have shattered palaces across the world.

However, despite its interesting angles, the book contains a lot of factual errors that would have gone widely unnoticed except for the natives of this nation. Probably, a lot of polishing could make the second edition of the book more useful for safekeeping.

Nevertheless it is a book worth reading and worth the money spent on purchasing it.

A soothing oasis

Spost

Set against a backdrop of the country’s historical treasures, chronicles, statues, sketches and ancient Lichhavi stone inscriptions, washed by waves of history, the Patan Museum Cafe lies just below the Patan museum, across a quiet open courtyard, secluded away in a type of exclusivity. Imagine a place, a restaurant that is different and relaxing from the ones that are situated amidst crowded buildings within the confines of Patan. It is a kind of place that not only culture lovers instantly get attracted to but even the Nepalese find soothing.

Very Nepali tiled floors glide smoothly below your feet and the Nepali tiled tables, too, are extremely comforting. Indeed, the vegetables all grown organically in the cafe’s organic garden (adding that taste to the fresh salads) and the open kitchen (which invites you to check the level of hygene if you have any doubts) and the quiet air of informal formality make the place charmingly comfortable.

Sitting with our host, Birendra Shrestha, marketing officer of the cafe, also part of The Summit Hotel, the lunch begins with a tangy Mixed fruit lassi and lime juice. "Business has dipped from 95% to almost 5% due to the Maoist related problems, Royal Massacre and now the terrorist attacks in the U.S. Earlier it used to bustle with tourists when tourism was on its feet," says Shrestha, mentioning that tourism has gone down extensively. The cafe closes with the museum at 5pm, which is a shame since the evenings would be quite something set with muted lights and in quiet seclusion. But there are obvious sound and not so sound reasons for this, although it is open for private parties in the evenings when an additional Rs 5000 has to be paid to the museum, "Which of course the customers have to bear, apart from the food and beverages," explains Shrestha.

The menu itself ranges from soups and snacks to light A la Carte dishes such as Chinese, Italian, Burgers and Omlettes all reasonably priced. For an even lighter touch, salads and sandwiches are also available. As Shrestha points out, "Now you can see quite a lot of tourists during the lunch hour even when tourism is down", we go for the Traditional Nepali Vegetarian Thali (Rs 220, the chicken or mutton available at Rs 260) and Fish and Chips with Tartare Sauce (Rs 200).

Shrestha mentions, "Generally tourists have to pay an additional entrance fee to the museum apart from the entrance fee to the square (Patan Durbar square) but they do not have to pay just to come to the Cafe but if they want to visit the museum, they have
to pay."

The mood of the cafe, like a closely guarded secret, gives the place top marks for ambience and a well worth dining experience.

No strings attached

By Ayushma Pandey

Hot many people in this world care or want to extend a helping hand to others. But there are some who reach unknown places, make friends, render services and take nothing in return. Among them is Jacques Beaume, a 62-year-old man from the district of Hautes-Alps, France .

It was eighteen years back that Beaume first visited Nepal. And since then he has repeatedly come to this Himalayan Kingdom.

His love for Nepal began with a meeting with Pasang Sherpa of Marpha , Mustang district , who later turned into his best friend.

Sherpa helped the Marpha residents to raise their economic status by teaching them a scientific method of cultivating apples. He was subsequently bestowed with the renowned Legion d’Honneur, the top French medal, for his contribution to the Marpha inhabitants. And he was the first Nepali to be conferred with the prestigious award.

This award inspired Beaume. Not because he wanted to be a recipient himself, but because of the ingenuity with which Sherpa helped others. Sherpa died in 1995, with no one to continue his social services.

It was only after Sherpa’s death that Beaume resolved to do something. As a gesture towards fulfilling his resolution, Beaume has ever since been giving free first-aid training for the past three years in Kathmandu at the Alliance Francaise premises with the help of a Nepali interpreter, Rajendra Shrestha , who helps him deliver the training to Nepalis who do not understand French. Started in the year 1999, this programme has trained almost 400 people from the Kathmandu Valley.

"I started this training not because I wanted to earn some profit from it but because I feel there is something much more important than money. I want to help the people of Nepal as a gesture of paying my gratitude to Pasang."

"The training is very helpful for us since it teaches us to deal with cases like fire burns, minor road accidents, or mishaps during trekking," say Monica Shrestha and Pratibha Shrestha (students). Another trainee, Krishna Prasad Pokhrel, of Celtic Trekking Agency in Chettrapati, says, "My confidence has been built up by this because now I can handle many accidental situations without panic."

Those who know Beaume are full of praises for him. "I have known Beaume during my tenure as Nepalese ambassador to France from 1985 to 1990," says Dili Raj Uprety who is presently the Vice-President of Alliance Francaise. "Beaume was especially interested in knowing about Nepal and reaching out to our people, mostly the most underprivileged people". Uprety has also asked Beaume to form an emergency work force to help people if the anticipated earthquake arrives, in which Kathmandu is likely to be severely hit.

The director of Alliance Francaise, Chintal Lama (French) who is married to a Nepali, says, "Nepal doesn’t have many guides with first-aid training. So to develop more trained guides we allowed Beaume to start up the work in our premises and he is doing it perfectly."

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has selected him as its official representative to promote tourism in Nepal. Not only this, Beaume has also established an association , "Maison du Nepal" (House of Nepal) in France which has about 20 to 30 members to build conducive bilateral relations between Nepal and France.

This man with so many feathers in his cap holds but a simple wish of not dying early, as he believes that there is so much he has yet to do for Nepal. Beaume is too modest to admit whatever he has done for Nepal as "noble". Instead Beaume says, " I am doing this all for my beloved deceased friend Pasang and will be doing it until I die and with no strings attached."

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