In depth Analysis

Agitation closer to the grassroots!

Kathmandu: As the congress Pokhara convention approaches lines are being drawn between the Girija and anti-Girija camp with the Prime Minister’s advantages gradually being unraveled and the Deuba camp still insisting that they have a few surprises up under their sleeves. The emergence of Khum Bahadur Khadka closer to Girija Prasad Koirala has made the Deuba standpoint weak. The much hoped for motion of no confidence has yet to emerge in Parliament. The Deuba point is that they are still hopeful.

The congress focus on Pokhara is clearly determined by the Prime Minister’s visit to major urban centers where he is rallying his supporters now for the need for party unity. The congress has clearly suffered vertically in the process of electing Girija supporters for Pokhara. Deuba’s defeat may be a virtual certainty. And Girija babu has ensured that his win will demonstrate his monopoly over the organization. But the weeding out of his opponents and the manner with which this was done is likely to tell on the performance of the organization regardless of the fact that his opponents themselves will not want to weaken themselves further by making a permanent break with the Girija dominated organization.

As example, one might cite the elections conducted under Prime Minister Koirala in 1994 by which the UML gained the largest number in Parliament and congress lost its majority despite the advantage of Girija babu conducting the elections. It is not for nothing then that the government’s standpoint on the widely popular issue of constitutional reforms is coming closer to that floated by the UML. The UML wants an all-party representation in government to be imbibed in the constitution for elections. Girija babu was flipped to power once more with a coalition of the UML in the last elections that brought the UML to its current position as the largest opposition in the parliament. The UML will come close to ensuring this stalemate once the issue of constitutional reforms as demanded by it is settled outside the constitution by a Girija led congress that will be more willing to accommodate the UML in the presence of belligerence from within the Prime Minister’s own ruling party.

The effects of Pokhara, however, is likely to be felt in virtually all urban centers where Girija babu appears to have shunned the established congress representation. Curiously again, much of the local level urban government’s remains dominated by the Left, a substantial portion is in ML hands which is not represented in parliament. In Kathmandu, for example, the antagonism of such personalities as Prakash Man Singh and P.L.Singh will most likely reflect upon government performance. Even in Girija babu’s home districts, Morang and Sunsari, the congress cadre appear to have been paralyzed just recently as last week.

Outside the fact that congress at the moment is ruling with the government machinery and popular mobilization of cadre is at a minimum in dealing with opposition, the Prime Minister must also have to cope with the fact that congress cadre are being singled out by the opposition to the point of virtual incapacitation.

The effects of these on a opposition program now virtually led by the Maoists even by proxy would most likely be momentous.

Pokhara, Biratnagar, Butwal, Narayanghat among others have already been tested grounds in an exercise at paralysis. Even Kathmandu has seen repeated success in such. Already all Left Students organizations have declared that they will be on the warpath on the issue of private schools. With the campuses closed, the the focus on the schools for agitation must be viewed with significance. Politics has now shifted from the campuses-grounds for previous political agitation-to the schools, which are more in numbers, more grassroots, situated and can be more widely affected at the population’s very doorstep.

German NGOs a fine example of diversity and liveliness of our bilateral relationship: Ambassador Lemp

Cologne, Germany 23rd December: The role of the NGOs (non governmental organizations), has become increasingly important in making various activities of the of local development people oriented and also in extending services and facilities to the grassroots level in Nepal.

We are greatly satisfied with the performance the German NGOs working in Nepal, who are extending their support to social and development projects of Nepal, said the Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Balram Singh Malla, in his key note speech while opening the sixth annual meeting at the "Regenwaldhaus" of Zoological Garden of Cologne, jointly organized by the German-Nepal Friendship Association (GNFA), Cologne and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation (FES), Bonn.

The German NGO's contribution to uplift the standard of the needy people through various socio-economic activities is certainly a matter of sincere appreciation. They also establish a linkage, relationship between Nepal and Germany and the activities provided by them contributing further strengthen the goodwill and understanding between our countries, he said.

Ambassador Malla requested to extend their services in remote and western parts of Nepal, where the government's service alone might not be optimal.

Ruediger Lemp, the newly accredited German ambassador to Nepal, said in a message to the meeting that the number of German associations involved in Nepal shows the diversity and liveliness of our bilateral relationship with the Kingdom Nepal. "The NGOs can work far beyond what an embassy or a governmental institution can ever do. The engagement of the Germans in their NGOs for Nepal with a very specific actions and goal is most admirable"’, added Ambassador Lemp.

The total number of German associations working exclusively for Nepal has reached around to 30. According to Ram Pratap Thapa, co-ordinator of the meeting and President of the GNFA, although the associations vary extremely in their size and capacity, they all have one common goal of helping the people of Nepal to the grassroots level. It is interesting to note that the newly set up organizations want to look for specific places or for specific projects.

Whereas in the past most of the NGOs were engaged in Kathmandu, now the new ones would like to look for the projects in other regions of Nepal. Most of the NGOs are involved in the education and health sector. Few help organizations for Nepal were also set up recently in Eastern Germany. This is a proof for the close German friendship to the people of Nepal, said Thapa. There are only few organizations who look especially for the environment conservation: one of the pioneer organization is the German Chapter of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature conservation (KMTNC), which is a registered NGO in Germany. This is presided by Prof. Dr. Gunther Nogge, who is the director of the Zoo of Cologne. The German Chapter of the KMTNC patronizes the projects of the Nepal Zoo in Jawalakhel. Another action Group is run by a group of Journalists in Cologne, who support the greenery program in
Kathmandu in co-operation with the Municipality of Kathmandu.

The meeting discussed about the necessity of specific visa status for the NGO-workers in Nepal as well as the need to identify the problems of charity goods with Nepali customs and recent developments in Nepal. A delegate of the Germany NGOs will try to put forward the matter to the Government of Nepal in April 2001 in Kathmandu. The seventh meeting will take place in September 2001 in Cologne.

(News through e-mail sent by German Nepal Friendship Association, Postfach 190327, 50500 Cologne, Germany).

New Yorker Nepalese to celebrate HM’s B’day

Kathmandu: King Birendra’s 56th auspicious birthday is planned to be celebrated in a grand "SANSKRITIK KARYAKRAM" Cultural Program in New York City. HM's birthday is a national holiday in Nepal and Nepalese worldwide too celebrate, wherever they may be. As part of the worldwide celebration, programs may vary in terms of style and items presented, but the overall theme is that of an expression of national unity among all the Nepalese inside and outside Nepal. The Nepalese have now settled and migrated to countries around the world, in countries in Europe, Asia and America.

The rapidly growing Nepali community has decided to celebrate on December 31,2000 with a program that will bring the community together unitedly and express their nationalism, identity and love for Nepal and respect to the King. The program is scheduled to be celebrated, on December 31, 2000 at the grand auditorium of the Ganesh Hindu temple, located at Flushing, New York City.

With the ideals that the " the unity among Nepali people should always remain and Nepali culture and national identity, language, religion preserved ", the Foundation of the Nepalese in America (FNA), a newly established organization based in New York city has decided to hold a three hour long program. The members of the organizing committee of FNA are: Dr. Kamal Pande, Rabi Sing Basnyat, Prahlad Pathak, Bishal Shah, Rajendra Shah, The Bharat Bahadur Bishural, Uttam Khadka, Surya Lal Maharjan, Dharmendra Gopali, Gopi Lal Tamang, and Tej Bahadur Singh. The cultural program to be performed by well-known national artists and local talent, currently residing in the New York area. The friends of Nepal and local Bhutanese and Indian community are admiring this program too. This program is an expression of the community in seeking a symbolic effort to unite all Nepalese.

(News sent through e-mail by the organizers).

NSJF delegation meets Ambassador Dev Mukherjee

Kathmandu: The Nepal-SAARC Journalists’ Forum or otherwise the NSJF paid a courtesy call on the newly appointed Indian Ambassador to the Nepali court, Shri Dev Mukherjee, at the latter’s office in Lainchour on 21 December, 2000.

During the meeting, the Journalists’ delegation apprised the Ambassador of the objectives and the past activities of the Forum.

To recall, the NSJF was founded in 1995 December.

The leader of the delegation, N.P.Upadhyaya, also highlighted the NSJF efforts made in the past to enhance Nepal-India bilateral ties more specially at the people to people level.

"I recall with great admiration the close support we received during the tenure of your predecessor Ambassador K.V.Rajan who every time exhibited his sincere desire to cooperate the forum and in the process our forum conducted two media seminars in Biratnagar through the kind courtesy of B.P.Koirala Nepal-India Foundation and the media gatherings were a grand success", added Upadhyaya.

The Forum sought the support of the Ambassador in arranging a Nepal-India media seminar in Kathmandu with a view to promote Nepal-India ties.

The Indian Ambassador lauded the efforts of the Forum in enhancing Nepal-India ties and assured the delegation of his continued support the common objectives.

Ambassador Mukherjee, however, expressed his utter surprise over the existence of this forum which contributed lot in bringing the people of the two countries closer.

" It is only but natural that two friendly neighbors having open borders have some occasional "glitches" in their bilateral relations. This is not that much important. What is important, however, is the process and the sincerity with which the issues were being addressed", said Ambassador Mukherjee to a query of the visiting media man from the Forum.

The delegation comprised of Vice Chairman Lok Dip Thapa (Editor The Rising Nepal), Ramesh Tiwari (editor The Gorkhapatra), Kamal Pradhan (editor The National News Agency-The RSS), and Pushpa Pradhan-the Chief editor of The People’s review Weekly.

Factors behind sudden change in Thimpu’s stance!

Kathmandu: The former adamant tone and the dilly-dallying stance exhibited in accepting their own "’citizens" from the Nepali camps by the "shrewd" Bhutanese delegation is clearly changed this round of the ongoing tenth round of talks between Nepal and Bhutan.

Not only this, the Bhutanese delegation apparently is giving the impression that they were the ones who were really interested in "sorting" out the issue for good.

Whether they would agree this time to take back their own "nationals" back to their home country or not is yet uncertain. However, what is for sure is that the Bhutanese regime has concluded that they will have to take back their nationals sooner or later.

The Dragon Kingdom’s sudden change in the previous rough and tough ‘tone’ and the ‘posture’ as well has surprised many a brains in South Asia more so in Nepal.

Is this really a change of mind in Thimpu or some one (or even some powerful institutions) from other part of the globe screwed the Dragon regime to come to terms with Nepalese authorities and take back its nationals so that the overly stretched refugee issue sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Change of mind? Yes it could be that.

Screwing of the Thimpu authorities by some powerful countries of late is also possible. In essence the latter strategy has worked apparently.

Consider what Inderfurth and Julia V. Taft, the US dignitaries only recently told a group of Nepali media men regarding the Bhutanese refugee issue.

" Among the unfinished jobs of the outgoing Clinton administration, the issue of the Bhutanese refugees and their repatriation to their motherland assumed priority of the US administration", said a beaming Inderfurth-the Assistant Secretary of State.

Going bit more further, minister Julia Taft’s talks with Nepal’s former foreign minister Dr. Mahat perhaps also needs to be brought to the fore.

According to Mahat, Julia Taft told him in private that if "if Bhutan refuses to sort out the refugee imbroglio, the US might convince the international donors to divert the financial aids pouring in to Bhutan to the refugee camps in Nepal".

Add to this the strong "concern" expressed by the European Parliament only recently on the refugee issue.

And this is the crux of the matter. These were the factors, which apparently have molded the events in a positive manner. It could also be deduced by way of reference that the two US dignitaries went to Thimpu recently with both carrot and stick.

A frightened Bhutan choose not to invite the ire of the international donors and the lone super power and decided to "change" its former stance vis-à-vis refugees languishing in Nepali camps.

This notwithstanding, whether there has been a subtle role of India in this regard, read in the change of mind in Thimpu, is not easy to imagine.

To add to this, only the other day it was revealed that a "Clinton letter" of the sort what Premier Koirala received had been sent to Bhutanese monarch for whom the Nepalese people possess immense respect and honor.

However, the content of Clinton letter sent to Bhutanese monarch is yet come to the open.

Maoists-Government confrontation imminent

Kathmandu: The speed with which the Maoists’ insurgents have been controlling areas in far flung western region and the manner in which they are declaring the formation of their own "people’s government" and the total indifference exhibited by Kathmandu government under Koirala to this effect undoubtedly hints at the very hard fact that there does exist "two separate" governments in one nation.

If media reports were to be believed then what is confirm is that the Maoists have already declared their governments in Rukum and Jajarkot.

Unconfirmed reports have it that the insurgents have tentatively finalized their preliminary works for the formation of similar such governments in places like Rolpa, Salyan, Pyuthan, Gorkha, Dolpa, Sindhupalchok, Dolkha, Sindhuli and Ramechap.

According to Punarjagaran weekly, Tuesday could see an open meeting of the Maoists in Dolkha, east of Kathmandu valley.

To recall, the insurgents have already conducted their broad-day light meetings in centers like Salyan, Rukum, Jajarkot, Dhading, Gorkha, Myagdi and Baglung.

These events amply prove that the government’s law and order machinery has either become defunct or is not willing to take any risks out of fear of possible confrontations with the insurgents.

However, the fact is that parallel government exists in Kathmandu and in the districts. The former being under congress and the latter being run by the Maoists.

Nepali intellectuals conclude that a disaster of serious dimensions is imminent should the government and the insurgents confront each other. (See edit also). It is the innocent civilians who will have to bear the brunt of the two way clash, add the intellectuals.

They also say that it is the congress’ internal conflict that is at its peak at the moment that has emboldened the insurgents to the present extent.

Deuba’s cry in the wilderness!

Kathmandu: In his desperate bid to bag sympathies of the lay men and the congress activists both in his favor, the sinking horse of the congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba, organized a press conference whose sole aim, said those who attended the meeting last week, had been apparently to " pinpoint" only the wrong doings of his bete noir-Prime Minister and the President-aspirant of the congress party-G.P.Koirala.

The appeal that was distributed among the media men by Deuba contained nothing but the formers’ arrogance that if he assumed the congress presidency, all the ailments that have gripped the party and the nation would vanish.

"That was Deuba’s cry in the wilderness", commented a Koiralaite when asked to offer his exclusive views regarding Deuba’s outburst against Koirala made last week at the media gathering.

The fact is that Deuba by this time fully has understood that his defeat is a certainty at Pokhara.

The fresh shock to him has come from Khum Bahadur Khadka whose actions of late have become like, say congressmen, a chameleon that could change colors suiting to the need of the time.

In essence, Khadka on whom Deuba trusted to the hilt has apparently hinted the latter’s rival that "if some of his demands" were met with prior to the convention, he will side with Koirala.

Khadka is talked to possess ten parliamentarians in his pocket and this number could change the balance at time of the no confidence motion against Koirala. The idea of pushing the motion is still in its embryonic stage considering the delay seen in moving the motion in the parliament. Albeit, the propaganda is there.

If Koirala yields to the demands put forth by Khadka that would mean a political harakiri for Deuba.

Significantly, the key man, Khadka, has also hinted Deuba that if he is elected President at Pokhara, the premiership should go to him as a reward for the support extended to him that is Deuba.

It is this "tough" bargain that has apparently made Deuba nervous.

Now every thing depends on the mood and the character of Khadka whose prestige has touched a new height in the recent days.

In order to make Koirala and Deuba more and more nervous and force them to come to his terms, Khadka is supposed to have vanished to unknown destination. Some say he is in Pokhara to look at the convention preparations.

However, Khadka continues to console Deuba that he was with him.

Telegraph adds:Flash news

In a sudden move this Thursday, Deuba and his supporters totaling 56 NC parliamentarians moved a motion at the party’s parliamentary committee against Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

This sudden move has surprised many a brains here because the move has come at a time when the entire nation is reeling under the shadow of a major upheaval, which is likely to gulp the nation. The Hritik Roshan episode as of Friday morning though apparently has subsided but yet its undercurrents could be felt in other parts of the nation.

Wednesday saw Kathmandu remaining tense with the likelihood of a curfew being imposed during the evening to avert any untoward incident during the night. However, the government opted not to impose. Eyewitnesses said that it reminded the people of the last days of the 1990 movement.

There was a rumor also on Wednesday that Girija Prasad Koirala will ask King Birendra to invoke emergency in the country. This did not happen, fortunately.

Amidst tight security, the Prime Minister greeted King Birendra at Singh Durbar Thursday afternoon to mark the constitutional monarch’s birthday. The Kathmandu based Ambassadors were offered security escorts up to the venue of the reception hosted by Koirala. Many invitees preferred to remain in their homes for obvious reasons.

The Hritik Roshan episode has taken a new turn. Deuba appears to have utilised the unstable situation prevailing in the country as it continues today, to take revenge from his declared bete noir Koirala. Though some of the signatories have denied having put their signatures in "’remove Koirala campaign", Deuba remains confident that this round he would be able to unseat Koirala from the Chair. The move needs fifteen days to mature for a discussion.

Till today, Khum Bahadur Khadka is with Deuba. If he changes his side would mean that the balance has gone in to Koirala’s favor.

A horse trading of sort has already begun as usual in the congress camp. Koirala quarters remain confident that the Deuba move will go to the dogs.

The country has undoubtedly become unstable prone to any sort of threat to the existence of the system itself. Congress has contributed to bring in this chaotic situation. Add to this the chaos brought about by Roshan’s alleged derogatory remarks and the subsequent violent strikes in the country that has already cost some precious innocent lives.

Hritik Roshan in the mean time has repeatedly denied his derogatory remarks made against the country and the people. So far none of the organizations in Nepal have been able to produce the visual cassette which could prove that Roshan did commit this Himalayan blunder. Nepali national sentiments are at its peak at the moment. All the Indian TV channels have been close sine die by the cable operators for fear of any untoward incident.

This is for the fourth time that Indian actors have passed on derogatory remarks on Nepal and her people. Actress Nanda insulted the Nepalese in the 60s later to be followed by Dharmendra. Then came Madhuri Dixit who fortunately apologized. And finally it is Hritik Roshan who hurled insulting remarks on Nepal and its people. This round, the consequences were rather heavy in terms of the damage of life and property.

The nine left parties too have joined in the Nepal closure scheme. They too have called for a Nepal Bundh next Monday and Tuesday.

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