In depth Analysis

Much hopes on the Delhi trip!

Kathmandu: - Clearly foreign minister Chakra Bastola's sudden India visit is preparatory to the much vaunted Prime Ministerial visit to New Delhi. But the foreign Minister has made clear that he remains uncertain on Indian viewpoints as yet of long standing Nepali demands that continue to irk Nepal-India relations. Bastola had told the press here that he is yet uncertain of Indian participation in the Bhutani refugee issue, the Indian Airlines Kathmandu flight stalled by Indian security perceptions remains unknown as yet in Bastola's agenda and even questions on terrorism which New Deli has repeatedly raised have yet to see a Nepali view point in course of the trip.

Indeed, even Prime Minister Koirala's projected Delhi visit is likely to be agenda free if Bastola allows his Indian counterpart to set the agenda for him. India continues to have a list of grouses on Nepali viewpoints that are more amenable for across the table discussions when not listed on as official agenda. Well-placed sources, for example, state that Nepal has been casually hinted by Indian sources that unscheduled Nepali flights in lieu of Indian airlines absence in Kathmandu will not be entertained if requested. This will put more pressure on Nepali efforts to reduce the passenger jam at New Delhi since the two country's national airline hold a monopoly. Stresses in the Indo-Nepal context after the talks are perhaps more likely to be ameliorated and made more visible in the forthcoming budget. The Prime Minister is said to have instructed his finance ninister to come up with visible budgetary relief to the public, which could mean substantial foreign contributions to which India would want to be a likely participant in case "concessions" are exchanged. This explains the virtual lack of agenda and the foreign minister unwillingness to have any standpoint as such except that concerning the Prime Minister's visit.

These indications give a new meaning to the hurried call for the budget session. This, regardless of the virtual certainty of Parliament ganging up against Girija Babu. If Delhi's blessings are clinched the opposition, it is hoped, will be tamed.

Analysing the news that have trickled from Delhi regarding Bastola's trip there, one could hope that the abruptly suspended Indian Airlines flights will be resumed soon but at what cost perhaps will take some more time to come to the open.

However, Bastola must be congratulated for his courage that he exhibited in Delhi when he forcefully told his counterpart that Nepal would wish to review the 1950 treaty. To recall, it is this treaty basically which irritates New Delhi as and when Nepal talks about its reviewal or effecting some changes to suit the needs of the changed regional and international context.

Nepal's bureaucrats and politicians; bad guys par excellence

Katmandu, May 7: Government employees top the list among the most corrupt in Nepal, followed very closely by the parliamentarians and leaders of the political parties.

An opinion poll conducted by the Media Services International (MSI) in the second week of January this year had 21% of the respondents pointing fingers at the bureaucrats and a slightly less (20%) deciding that the parliamentarians and leaders of political parties were the most corrupt.

The ministers, police, justices, corporation employees, NGO workers, journalists and teachers were deemed corrupt by 19 %, 18 %, 11 %, 8 %, 3 %, 0.7 % and 0.3 % of the respondents respectively.

The opinion survey which dealt with a sample size of 1197 individuals in 12 districts in the mountains, hills and Tarai of Nepal found that the land revenue office was regarded the most corrupt among all the state-run organizations with 19 % of the interviewees thinking so.

Close on the heels of the land revenue office in terms of corruption as perceived by the respondents were the customs (17 %), police (17 %), courts (12 %), local administration (10 %), tax (9 %), forest (5 %), electricity (3 %), telephone (2.3 %), municipality (2 %) and roads (2 %). Less than 1 % of the respondents thought drinking water office, hospital, army, survey department and land reform office were corrupt.

On the important question of who after all is mainly responsible for corruption in Nepal, 30 %  of the respondents said the politicians were the ones responsible for corruption in the society. By the same token, if 28 % said the government employees were the culprits, 15 % believed the businessmen were responsible.

No fewer than 13 % of the respondents blamed the political system for rise in corrupt practices. Quite interestingly, though, 6 % thought the public itself was responsible and 4 % attributed the responsibility (of corruption) on the existing social norms. The NGOs and international organizations were not spared. Those who thought these bodies too were corrupt constituted 3 % and 2 % of the respondents respectively.

Asked what could be the reason for corruption, 33 % of the respondents identified money-making motive as the reason whereas 21 % said low income was the reason. If 17 % said the corruption had increased because of decline in moral values, 15 % identified greed and 13 % identified social competition as the main reasons.

Given this sad state of affair, the interviewees were asked what needed to be done to discourage, if not totally stop, this phenomenon of rising corruption in Nepal, most of the respondents (33.3 %) said legal instruments should be reinforced and applied vigorously against the corrupt.

Those who thought the corrupt should not be given any political protection accounted for 19 % of the respondents and those advocating salary hike for the employees, enhancing public awareness about the negative impact of corruption and social boycott of the corrupt constituted 18 %, 16 % and 14 % of the total respondents.

The opinion survey conducted from January 12 to 21, 2000, with a grant from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, London, covered Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Morang, Jhapa, Chitwan, Kaski, Rupandehi, Parsa, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Banke districts.

Jazz Festival, Hotel Yak & Yeti way

Kathmandu : Hotel Yak & Yeti, one of the top class luxurious Hotel conglomerate in Nepal , organized a gala Annual Summer Jazz festival , 5th May, 2000, amidst a colorful function attended by diplomats, high ranking officials and the visiting  VVIP guests.

The festival of its own kind exclusively being organized by the Hotel on a regular basis offered the attending participants an exclusive atmosphere to relax, enjoy and forget the stresses and the strains of the material life.

The festival, to recall, has been a trademark for the hotel with International and Local Band accompanied by varied cuisine to suit all the palates and pockets.

The pleasure moments inside the hotel garden stretched for all along four hours plus with the guests enjoying food, drink and music of all sorts and the bonus was undoubtedly the eye-captivating swing during the late evening. "A memorable and comfortable evening indeed for the Kathmanduites ", said a diplomat to the Telegraph.

Jazz is the triumph of art, faith and humanity over injustice and suffering which are, in the final analysis part of our common experiences. It functions as a religion with its own constellation of saints and martyrs that reflects an optimism rooted in the tragic/ cosmic essence of life that swings despite all the odds.

Over enjoyed enthusiasts who fully utilised the moments in the hotel garden that lively evening hoped that the hotel continues such extravaganza for long time to come and offers all to rare moments of the sort just concluded.

The Jazz evening was led by Chris Masand performed compositions of legends like Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Armstrong, Henri Dauman and sarah Vaughan.

Others who contributed their share to the evening were Frank Sinatra, Dave brubeck, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and other Jazz luninaries.

The Chakra band too had its share in making the evening a grand success.

South Asia currently in a very bad shape

 Kathmandu: Better late than never, the two South Asian rivals, India and Pakistan,

have agreed last week to take steps to curb incidents of unprovoked firing on international border during the harvest season.

This border agreement comes first time well after the Kargil crisis that brought both the archrivals face to face at the battlefront last year.
Whether this agreement would have its impact or not on the overall normalization of their bilateral relations is yet unclear. However, Nepalese intellectuals believe that even small events of this sort undoubtedly pave the ground for high level talks aimed at improving the strained relations in the larger interest of the smaller non-nuclear nations of South Asia.

" If India and Pakistan both exhibit their desire for the talks to normalize their relations will in all probability enhance the prospects of the convening of the now postponed eleventh SAARC Summit that were to be held in Kathmandu late last year", commented a political scientist at the Tribhuvan University to this scribe over telephone Tuesday morning.

Contrary to this Nepali remarks, only recently India and Bhutan have made it amply clear that the time was not "opportune" to reconvene the abruptly suspended SAARC summit.

A notification to this effect was made abundantly clear a fortnight back in Delhi when the foreign ministers of India and Bhutan met in the Indian capital.

This perhaps caps the possibility of the reconvening of the SAARC summit in Kathmandu.

"The regular SAARC summits must not be allowed to remain captive to Indo-Pak rivalry", added the political scientist.

However, a newspaper close to Deuba and Bhattarai lobby hinted that Nepalese foreign minister Bastola will break the ice in Delhi and Nepal would soon proceed for the necessary preparations for holding the summit some time late this year. The theory that has been advanced by this newspaper that quotes foreign ministry sources says that Nepal must exhibit to the world of its "independent" status and hence initiation of the activities pertaining to the convening of the SAARC summit. To what extent Nepal is independent perhaps needs no further explanation. At times we have miserably yielded to other nation's whims. This is a crude fact.

This Nepali assumption too appears to be pretty weak. Considering the present crisis in Sri Lanka, the current chair of the SAARC movement, it appears remote that the dates for the Summit could be finalized until Colombo gets out of the imbroglio and takes a heavy sigh of relief.

Yet, reports have it that India could try to broker a truce between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. The Indian foreign minister  Jaswant Singh, made a statement to this effect Sunday.
However, Mr Singh said New Delhi had not yet been contacted either by Colombo or the LTTE rebels to try to secure peace in the war-torn island.
Be that as it may, the sudden trip of the chief of the Indian Air Force, Anil Yaswant Tipnis, to Colombo for a five-day official visit is loaded with meaning. Though the Indian sources say that Mr. Tipnis trip there had been finalized prior to the present crisis in Sri Lanka.
Summing up, South Asia appears to be in a very bad shape. Nepal is plagued with Maoists' insurgency and so is Sri Lanka facing the ethnic conflict for all along one and a half decade plus. India and Pakistan have increased their hostilities against each other and the root cause is understandably Kashmir. Apart from this both the nations have their internal terrorist problems. Karachi ethnic issue continues to haunt Pakistan much the same way the Maoists, MCC, in Bihar, India. Bhutan's absolute monarchy is threatened by its own nationals who are languishing in Nepali refugee camps for a decade plus with no signs of repatriation in sight. Bangladesh is reeling under the opposition's regular violent moves that more often than not paralyses the entire state machinery.

Still, if India and Pakistan come to terms and contribute for the resumption of the SAARC process, much could be achieved when the seven leaders will exchange their ideas aimed at freeing their own region from war like situation and from the threats that have already assumed frightening dimensions in their respective countries in one way or the other.

Colombo rejects Tigers' fresh offer 

Kathmandu : The rebel Tamil Tigers on Monday made a surprising peace overture to President Chandrika Kumaratunga offering a temporary cease-fire to allow the Sri Lankan troops a safe passage from Jaffna, writes Seema Guha from Colombo.

However, President Chandrika indicated bluntly that she was not in a mood to accept this offer.

The LTTE offered a temporary ceasefire to allow between 35,000 to 40,000 Sri Lankan troops, trapped in the Jaffna peninsula, a safe exit. It suggested that the International Committee of the Red Cross supervise the orderly withdrawal of troops.

By doing so ``they have turned the current situation on its head,'' a foreign diplomat said. ``Its now an entirely different ball game," adds Seema.

``The LTTE leadership has done this as a gesture of goodwill to prevent further escalation of violence and an accompanying bloodbath and to create a congenial atmosphere for Sri Lankan soldiers to withdraw from the unfavorable theatre of war with dignity and honor,'' the Tigers said in a statement issued in London.

The Tigers also said that if the government agreed to calling an end to the fighting the cease-fire could be converted into a permanent one after which ``talks for a negotiated settlement of the Tamil question could be held.''

President Kumaratunga, in a speech to the nation, copies of which were given to the press earlier, gave ample hints that she was not prepared to negotiate. Though she did not refer directly to the LTTE offer, she said her army was determined to fight and hold Jaffna.

``We will not allow half a million people to fall into fascist LTTE hands,'' Kumaratunga said signaling that her government would not yield pressure come what may.

The brutal attacks by the LTTE on Sri Lankan political leaders and the killing of Rajiv Gandhi, to recall, has isolated them internationally, say Nepali observers. (Compiled from various sources).

Khadka favors young leader for Presidency

Kathmandu : Clearly the former close aides of Prime minister Koirala are keeping a distance from him thus contributing to the formation of new algebraic equations within the conflict ridden party Congress.

To begin with, Bijaya Kumar Gachhedar, a trusted and tasted ally of Girija Prasad Koirala, is not at even talking terms with his former mentor because of the continued onslaught made against him in his Sunsari constituency by none less than Koirala's daughter, Ms. Sujata Jost (Koirala).

Reports have it that Ms.Koirala in the recent weeks has gone extra miles in damaging the popularity and the prestige of Gachhedar . The real strength of Ms. Koirala is understandably is her father, the Prime minister.

To add insult to injury, yet another congress stalwart and a very close chum of Prime Minister Koirala, minister Khum Bahadur Khadka, too appears to have exhibited his desire to keep a distance from his former political Guru. Khadka's anger , say sources, is some how or the other related to Koirala's assurances given to him prior to the parliamentary elections held last month that he, Khadka, would be elevated to the ranks of deputy prime minister. However, R.C.Poudel snatched this opportunity which appears to have pained him much and forced him to feel betrayed.

"The new President of the Nepali Congress must be elected from among the leaders belonging to the new generation", said minister Khadka recently only to the utter discomfiture of President Koirala who still would like to continue in the same post or at best would wish his "family members" seated in the coveted post of the party.

However, Khadka's fresh utterances must have annoyed Koirala and his family members' aspirant of the Presidentship.

In the race of the party presidency clearly from the Koirala family men the names of Sushil Koirala, Shailaja Acharya and Shekhar Koirala were being floated. Conversely, the second-generation leaders too have clearly been lobbying for personalities other than Koirala's men.

The most likely and a consensus candidate for the next presidency from among the leaders of the congress is presumably Sher Bahadur Deuba who not only enjoys the blessings of K.P.Bhattarai but also has bagged the moral support of Bijaya Gachhedar and very recently that of Khum Bahadur Khadka. To recall, minister Khadka only last month remained instrumental in making Girija the Prime Minister.

An annoyed Gachhedar and minister Khadka could change the entire situation in Deuba's favor at time of the presidential election scheduled this December", said a congressite to this scribe.

Time permitting, other MPs who have been humiliated or neglected by Prime minister at one time or the other might join the band of the disgruntled ones posing Himalayan threats to the post of the Premier even.

Unconfirmed sources say that the cumulative effect of the annoyances of the disgruntled ones in the congress, party and the government, would for sure show its negative effects during the budget session, which is shortly commencing.

Korala's political acumen perhaps would be tested in the days ahead.

Communist leader Nirmal Lama no more

Kathmandu: A towering personality of the Communist movement of Nepal, Nirmal Lama, left for his heavenly abode Tuesday. Leader Nirmal Lama remained unconscious since last week at the Teaching Hospital where he was being treated by the doctors well over three weeks.

The last few days prior to his death appeared very painful and the attending doctors gave him painkiller injections.

Communist leader Lama began his political career with the Congress in the 50's. Later he joined the Communist movement of the nation. He was jailed for eight years immediately after the Royal takeover of 1960.

The departed soul was also a member in the 1990 Constitution drafting committee.

The Communist leader had expressed his grave anxiety over the deteriorating situation in the country only a few days back during an interview with a local newspaper.

Telegraph salutes this great Nepali soul.

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