I n d e p t h    A n a l y s i s
Frightened Deuba!

Kathmandu: The news that Congress President, Girija Prasad Koirala and the maverick politician, Surya Bahadur Thapa of the RPP had a secret meeting with each other at Koirala's private residence in Mandikhatar must have shaken the earth down the feet of incumbent prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Deuba has reasons to be alert and cautious for this meeting between the two movers-and-shakers of country's politics have come at a time immediately after Thapa have had a very exclusive and strictly private meeting with King Gyanendra for two hours plus.

The duration of Thapa's tête-à-tête with the monarch suggests, analysts opine, that the two must have summarized the country's prevailing politics. However, what could have transpired in between the head of the State and a very powerful leader at the said meeting is beyond one's imagination. But then yet Thapa's clandestine meet with Koirala and that too for two hours signals that some thing is being cooked in Katmandu's political kitchen against Sher Bahadur Deuba.

It is not surprising therefore that Deuba too should use his options of his cards under his sleeve.

It is in this background prime minister Deuba should have, point analysts, begun talking of holding of the elections as instructed by the monarch while appointing him as the country's chief of the executive.

That Deuba has become totally nervous becomes clear from his fresh statements that if the Maoists delay or do not come to the negotiating table, he was all set to throw the country to the polls.

Deuba has been making such declaration much to the disagreement of his coalition partners in the government. Deuba remains undeterred.

Deuba has reasons to take hurried actions for fear of being once again dubbed as incompetent prime minister which he would prefer this time to avoid to be coined so.

The fact is that Deuba has neither been able to bring the Maoists to talks and restore peace and hold elections on time as per the instructions of King Gyanendra. Deuba so far has failed in both of the fronts. It is thus natural that Deuba should be afraid of Thapa's meeting with King Gyanendra and the former's secret "association" with his declared rival, Girija Prasad Koirala.

Both Thapa and Koirala appear to have concluded, political pundits guess, that Deuba's longer tenure in government bodes ill for the nation and that neither this government can conduct the polls nor can bring in the Maoists to the table.

Given this background analysts take Prachanda's reluctance in attending to talks with the Deuba regime.

Unconfirmed reports have it that Thapa has assured Koirala that if the latter favored his prime ministerial candidature once again, he would do all he can to tame the CIAA that is chasing Koirala like anything of late.

Thapa, if one were to recall, is considered to be exceptionally close to the Indian leadership, more so with the ruling congress.

Thapa's meeting with the monarch has also coincidently come at a time when the King is all set to pay a visit to neighboring India beginning November 3-5 next month. The government and the Palace have yet to confirm His Majesty's impending India visit. Nevertheless, Nepal-1 channel based in Delhi has already confirmed the dates mentioned above.

Thapa's close proximity with the Indian leaders and the monarch's private meeting with him does provide some inkling into the events to follow. Whatever side politics takes turn, the turn would be not in favor of Sher Bahadur Deuba.

I am proud to be associated with Nepal's first Ethnic Beer- Reinhold Messner

Messner in himself a mountain-Amatya

Kathmandu: A sensitizing and epoch making news of Himalayan dimension indeed.

This international event will in all probability penetrate into the minds of those who have been to Nepal and were accustomed to its traditions and culture including those of the evening times at the restaurants and at cocktail receptions served with a bit mild but yet purely ethnic drinks.

"I am happy to be involved with the name of the "Everest Premium Lager Beer", said the Legendary Mountaineer and Climber of International repute, the one and the only one, Reinhard Messner, an Italian by birth but a climber whose name itself perhaps frightens the mountains.

The legendary mountaineer made these observations at a special programme organized by the conglomerate of Nepal's recognized pioneers in the production of the mild alcoholic beverages, read the Beers, the Mount Everest Brewery Pvt. Ltd, an affiliate of the Amatya Enterprises, while signing in a deal in between the company and the world famous mountaineer.

In effect, the Italian world hero of the mountains did sign a memorandum of understanding in between him and the brewery whwrein the former will provide his "brand name" to the new product of the Brewery, the "Everest Premium Lager Beer" beginning 2005 till 2006.

"The Mount Everest Brewery is proud to announce that Mr. Reinhold Messner, the world famous climber and mountaineer, has kindly consented to lend his name for the promotion of our pure ethnic Nepali brand, Everest Premium Lager beer", declared a beaming Piyush Bahadur Amatya, the chairman of the company while welcoming the Italian hero.

To recall, Messner is the first mountaineer to scale Mount Everest without Oxygen and he is concurrently a personality to have climbed practically all the mountains of the world with eight thousand meters altitude. This amply explains his attraction for the mountains which also tells abundantly of his indomitable physical stamina.

"His name itself is a mountain", said Amatya adding that Messner's association with this special beer will facilitate the company's new and exclusive production an entry into the world market especially in Europe.

Reciprocating Amatya's remarks, the famous mountain climber said that people in Europe have a special attraction for Nepal's ethnic beer. He, however, opined that efforts would have to be made for its easy passage into th European market.

"As Everest stands tall amidst the mountains of the world and has no competition, so would be the market of Everest Premium Lager beer", the production of Mount Everest Brewery.

Answering to a query of the telegraph, Messner said that he would wish the Maoists too contributed for the restoration of peace in Nepal.

"Nepal's past glory has got to be restored", continued Messner.

To yet another query of this scribe, Messner made it clear that so far he has not encountered the legendary Yeti, however, he too considered that if Yeti existed, it should have been a bulky creature with plenty of hairs in its body.

Chairman Amatya revealed that already this beer had secured 19% of the market share and hoped that by next year, the beer would cross the 50% limits.

As per the plans, the Everest brewery will exclusively develop a special limited edition of this beer dedicated to Messner during the agreement period and thereafter with its regular edition. The production of the special edition will be of premium quality befitting to the image of Mr. Messner, concluded Chairman Amatya.

Israel ready to share its technical know-how with Nepal: Ambassador Eliezer

Kathmandu: The Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu, in collaboration with the Economic Division of the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi, organized today a Programme about Israel's Telecommunications Industries and "Telecom Israel 2004" at Hotel Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. The programme, which was aimed to familiarize Nepali business sector with Israel's Advanced Telecommunications Industries and "Telecom Israel 2004", a large scale international exhibition which will be held this year in Israel from 8-11 November providing a panoramic, up-to-date spectacle with special focus on the contribution of the Israeli telecommunication industry to the rapid advance of communication and information technologies. This event was inaugurated by Mr. Mukunda Raj Sharma Poudyal, Secretary of Ministry of information and Communications.

 Senior officials of Government organizations, heads of Economic establishments and representatives of private companies dealing with telecommunications and IT attended the programme.

 While inaugurating programme Secretary Poudyal said that the application of information and communication technology is becoming indispensable in every walk of life and its role in the socio-economic development of a nation cannot be ignored. He further said that the unprecedented research and development activities conducted in various parts of the globe, Israel stands as one of the forerunners in this field.

 He also mentioned that Nepal, being the first nation in this region to recognize Israel as a state and establish diplomatic relation with her, has been fully supported by Israel of the Nepalese endeavor towards progress and development.

 Secretary Poudyal reminded that Nepal Telcom, the largest fixed lines operator and the only GSM operator in the kingdom of Nepal had in the past brought in GSM system from an Israeli supplier company namely - Telrad, when NTC first launched GSM service in Nepal in 1997 and it has proved so reliable that Nepal Telecom is still operating the whole system in the country.

 Welcoming the participants at the programme, H.E. Mr. Dan Ben-Eliezer, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal said that Israel has a leading edge in information technology and telecommunication and continuously attracts the world's attention and attains a position among the top competence centers worldwide.

 Ambassador Ben-Eliezer further said that Israel as a good friend is happily ready and willing to share its technical know-how with Nepal in many fields including telecommunications. He added that there is much to do in this sector and this is a time for us to work together to transfer our long-standing friendly relationship into the economic prosperities for our peoples and nations. The Ambassador expressed his hope that Nepali people will attend the "Telecom Israel 2004" exhibition in Israel.

 Ambassador Ben-Eliezer opined that accelerated development and mobilization of information and communication technology sector in Nepal could play a vital role in poverty reduction and speedy economic growth and can support and play an important role to increase awareness among the people, and bring them together in the process of nation building.

While addressing the programme, Mr. Binod Bahadur Shrestha, President, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry hoped that these events would further help to strengthen and promote cooperation in the filed of agriculture, telecommunication, ICT and investment between the two countries. He further said that Israel has made phenomenal progress in telecommunication sector in the recent past.

Nine days brief respite

Kathmandu: Things are moving in the positive direction, at least for the time being.

The expected suspension of what the government calls "military actions" by the Maoists for nine days, that covers the Dasain festival, does hint that the leaders of the insurgency were not apathetic towards the people's longing for a permanent peace. The Maoists have said that they have honored the people's voices and thus have suspended their activities for the time being.

However, interpretations vary on how to interpret the suspension of violent activities of the Maoists for a nine day during the peak festival days.

Two theories are prevalent in the political circuit. The first takes Maoists suspension of the violent activities as a sort of ceasefire. The other opines that all that the Maoists have said is not a ceasefire in its truest sense of the definition of the term they have used in the statement instead it were merely the suspension of all the violent and terrorizing activities for a total of nine days.

The majority of the population has, nevertheless, taken Maoists nine-days arms-down as a brief respite. However, they expected the respite to have covered the entire festivals including that of the Chath, a festival mainly observed in Terai. Not that bad indeed.

On the other, the government led by Deuba concludes that the suspension of the military actions by the Maoists is not enough and that they should have come forth with clear announcement of a ceasefire which would have assured the laymen that peace was round the corner.

Some government ministers and the talkative leaders of the country nevertheless have taken the Maoists stance in a positive manner which is what it is in effect.

A section of the political analysts maintain that the nine days respite provided by the Maoists could have been extended for some more time had there been no Deuba government in existence. This section underscores that the Maoists reluctance in talking to this government could have been guided by the assumption that if they exhibited their hatred towards this government, the servants of the King as they have declared, the King would be pressed hard to replace Deuba with the one that they apparently prefer and consider more "representative" of the people with whom they can resume talks.

Interpretations vary indeed.

However, who could be that political personality with whom the Maoists would feel more comfortable to talks will have to be watched.

In the meanwhile, a noted HR activist, Malla K. Sundar talking to a vernacular weekly last week has said that it is the King only who could assure the Maoists if he says that he was ready to make his institution more flexible and abundantly democratic.

How the King will react to HR activists' suggestion is uncertain.

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