Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Military is the target?

Kathmandu: While on the one hand the freshly finalized agreement in between Nepal's major parliamentary parties and the Maoists has brought a silver lining in the Nepal's troubled sky, on the other what is equally becoming increasingly clear is that a lack of a proper handling of the entire overtures might deteriorate the situation to even a higher degree which could bring disasters of an unprecedented scale in the country.

If that does happen would mean further chaos and instability in the country thus facilitating the unwanted intervention of foreign forces in this sacred Kingdom in the name of tackling law and order in a failed state.

This possibility has got to be avoided by the parties who have a say in the present scheme of things.

Nepali analysts presume that those involved in peacemaking efforts in the country on both the sides have equal stake and hence responsibility in the preservation of the territorial integrity and the so far carefully nurtured independence status of the Kingdom.

In such a case and in such a likelihood, the nation relies on its brave forces represented in Nepal by Nepal's Army.

Efforts aimed at disturbing the mindset of the Nepali army have begun appearing in certain quarters. Bids to demoralize the National army that has ever remained loyal to the crown, democratic system and the people since 1990 onwards is certain to annoy the army which till to date is serving the country and the country men without nurturing any designs or whatsoever that could go or could have gone against the system and the people.

The army repeatedly has been saying that it is loyal to the King, the people and the system. This traditional institution with its glorious past has so far not intervened in any of the political matters save at times demanding appropriate and sufficient budgetary allocations to it in order to better serve the nation in whatever way it can.

While this being the ground reality, some politicians, either individual or in groups, have of late been casting aspersions on the very role of the army and indicating loud and clear that the institution of the army should go to the fold of the parliament or for that matter should obey to the instructions of the government and that it should do away with its loyalty to the King.

The army says it has always abided by the instructions of the government as and when such orders have come from the executive sector.

The leaders do not believe this theory pushed by the army and appear hell bent on taming the army.

To come back to the point, Girija Prasad Koirala, is the one who is afraid of the army and hence he would wish the army to come to the grips of the parliament or for that matter the government. Koirala appears to have made a knot of the event wherein his prime ministerial orders were sidelined by the army on one pretext or the other. This made Koirala furious to the extent that he since then began demanding taming the army and put the entire institution under the command of the government. Koirala's thinking which is backed by a sizeable chunk of politicians is that the army is loyal to the King and that unless the King and the army are made to be a at a comfortable distance with each other, the army can't be tamed once and for all.

Recently Madhav Nepal too has joined this Koirala club. And very freshly the Maoists too have inked a pact with the leaders of the seven party alliances on the need to humiliate the Nepali army by keeping it under the supervision of some recognized international body at time of the constituent assembly.

This portion of the agreement wherein the Nepali army has been kept at par with the Maoists Red Army militia in all probability must have amply annoyed the Army which in turn, let's presume, internally could have become a matter of intense debate among the top-brass of the army. After all, the army officers too are highly qualified human beings and they too understand politics and what this meant to their prestige, they were in a position to analyze.

Analysts say that the agreement has at a go done a Himalayan harm to the morale of the army and that if the army, till to date loyal to the country and political paraphernalia, begins playing politics then what would happen to the fate of the country and its people?

An army which so far has the credential of being apolitical if suddenly nurtured a desire to be in active politics then what would happen to the nation? The message is perhaps clear.

In that case, god forbid from such possibilities, the entire congenial political atmosphere of the country will go to the dogs.

Analysts opine that Nepal's matured leaders should not have made arrangements for the army in their agreement with the Maoists that demoralize the entire institution of the armed forces.

A sizeable chunk of the Nepali population believe that Nepal's parliamentary forces have committed a blunder under the influence of a "power" which facilitated this agreement in between the two: Nepal's political leaders and the Maoists.

For the Maoists, understandably, the Nepali army is a problem. For then such an arrangement in the agreement is a success for their reason and cause. But for the leaders, it is not or it was not.

What if the Army suddenly begins taking interest in Nepali politics? What if the army goes out of the grips of the Monarchy? The consequences are loud and clear. Thanks that they have so far not spoken any thing against the agreement wherein their position have been put to humiliation. An annoyed and badly humiliated army could go to any unimaginable extent, this is for sure.

Grand revelations indeed

Kathmandu: Many would believe that the twelve point agreement reached in between the seven party alliances and the Maoists rebels were signed in Delhi and later brought for the consumption of the State and the people at large.

This was not the case.

Many would believe that Madhav Nepal was honored at time of the agreement by both Koirala and Prachanda which was not.

Many would believe that American Ambassador James F. Moriarty went to Delhi all of a sudden and at his own will, but he was invited to be there by none other than Koirala. Later Indian Ambassador too was summoned by his authorities engaged to materialize such a deal in between the agitating parties and the rebels.

In fact, Koirala have had extensive talks with Prachanda on November 14. They alone prepared most of the details for the agreement. The meeting concluded on that day agreeing to meet again on the 15.

On this very date, Koirala insited that the Maoists laid down their arms unconditionally which was rejected by Prachanda who insisted that he would do that only under the supervision of the United nations.

With this development in mind, a beaming Koirala managed to call American envoy and convinced him of Prachanda's desire. Later Ambassador Mukherjee was told to consume the UN pill by both the sides. Indian Ambassador Mukherjee expressed his reservation on UN mediation or for that matter supervision and he told the contracting parties that his government will have to watch the ramifications involved in the UN presence.

After this development, Koirala, Madhav Nepal and Hridayesh Tripathi of the NSP-Anandi Devi dwelt at length on thbe kdalities of the preliminary agreement that were at a later stage to be inked.

What has also been learnt is that Unity-Centre-MASAL's Prakash too was briefed on this development.

In yet another development, Koirala is learnt to have told his fellow colleagues to agree on having a ceremonial king to which the rest of the parties denied for it is believed that the rest of the parties, excluding Koirala, have had already in advance decided Nepal sans the King. Madhav, Prachanda and Prakash all subscribed to this view to which Koirala rejected vehemently.

Later Prachanda assured Koirala that for the time being he was ready for such a proposal.

Sources say that Ambassador Moriarty did not see the Maoists leaders but was simply apprised of Prachanda's conditions for lying down of the arms. Albeit, Ambassador Moriarty did talk with Shyam Saran, the Indian FS whose details he gave right while being in Delhi.

This is not all, the entire meetings took place in a small village close to NOIDA in Delhi.

High placed sources backed by India friendly weeklies in Kathmandu say that two of the jailed leaders, Mohan Vaidya from Siliguri and C.P.Gajurel from Chennai were brought at time of the finalization of the deal. Later, the Indian government is learnt to have sent them back to their respective jails. This news has yet to be refuted by respective quarters.

What many people don't know is that Prachanda and Madhav Nepal have had already made a deal through the kind courtesy of Bam Dev Gautam and Yubraj Gyawali wherein they have concluded that ultimately there was the need for the formation of a broader Left Morcha-Front.

Not so many people know that the twelve point agreement is a short version of the fourteen point agreement.

Not so many people know that the thirteenth point, say informed sources in Kathmandu, talks of inviting foreign forces if things go wrong in the country. This they would use if the King disagreed to come back to his constitutional role as of February one. The last point is yet unclear.

Many would believe that the Maoists have finally yielded to the parliamentary forces. The fact is that the Maoists have won this game and have kept their hands up. The Maoists victory lies in convincing the parties to agree to their agenda on constituent assembly elections. The parties have gleefully accepted.

Poor Koirala considered it to be a personal victory. It was indeed one as he presumed. But the fact is that if the Maoists and the UML establish a broader Left front what fate his party would have then? Certainly, the second target of the broader front thus formed would sweep the congress from Nepal's political landscape.

All in all, Koirala has invited trouble for himself and at the fag end of his political career he is sure to drown his party enmasse.

After all, the REDS are one ideologically and both would wish the extinction of the democratic forces. This is what has apparently irked the American administration which has summoned its envoy to get into the nitty-gritty of the new Nepali developments and formulate possibly a new policy to fit into the Nepali scheme of things that have emerged in the recent days.

Analysts prefer to wait for Moriarty's arrival. By then the King will have already made up his mind on how to proceed to tackle the tricky situation which contain the seeds of both: war and peace.

Compiled from various sources-ed.

Have the rebels embraced the parliamentary parties or is it otherwise?

Kathmandu: It has become pretty difficult for the Nepal's mature analysts to understand complicity involved in the nitty-gritty's of the recently inked twelve point agreement in between Nepal's major parliamentary forces and the rebels.

In effect analysts have miserably failed, and they possess pretty valid and logical reasons, to understand as to whether the Maoists have embraced the political mainstream or the political parties thus involved in the said agreement have indicated their preference that they too could come closer to violence and acts of terror as practiced by the Maoists.

In other words if one were to put the entire dilemma in a simply way the intellectuals appear at a loss to ascertain whether the political parties have gone closer to the Maoists ideologies or the Maoists have come to them with a wish to honor the parliamentary practices.

This is, needless to say, a very tricky question. Nevertheless, the fact is that both have in their own way and political fashion come closer to each other thereby hinting that both desire and long for peace and that they were both ready to settle their longstanding differences with each other and with the establishment as well provided certain conditions were met with by the state.

In a way let's presume, that it is the penchant for peace on the part of the parliamentary parties and a wish for a sort of safe landing for the Maoists that has made the two diametrically opposing forces to embrace each other.

Not bad indeed. Nothing to panic.

However, the agreement as a whole speaks that both the contracting parties wish peace and want their country to become a prosperous nation. Nothing to disagree.

But then yet what comes to mind instantly is that if such an agreement were possible in between the two opposing forces, why it were not done a few years back which could have saved many a thousand precious Nepali lives? The fact is that the rebels have had made their targets the extinction of the NC cadres and then the UML's at the remote villages? The rebels at a later stage began fighting with the national army considering that a weakened security system both at the police and the military level, would make easier their advancement to the urban areas largely shielded by the army and the police force.

How come this sudden change of hearts on both the sides: the one that killed and the one which have had to bear the loss of its dedicated cadres at the grassroots?

Miracles does not happen. More so political miracles happen in decades and centuries. How come all of a sudden the two repelling forces till the other day which differed on their political ideologies with each other could shake hands in an alien land and agree to forget their not so illuminating political past?

The theory that any agreement that benefited the overall political health of the nation could be done on any place on earth under the sun is very difficult to digest. Firstly, because the agreement has been inked at an alien land that since 1950 onwards has played several visible and invisible tricks to befool this nation and her leaders. The agreement has been signed in a country which has the distinction of managing successful ploys in playing one against the other in order to extract political benefits for herself?

The agreement has been accepted in a country that always spoke double vis-à-vis the Maoists whereabouts. It is this country that first dubbed the Nepali sons in the rebel camp as terrorists much ahead of what Nepal government did. It was this country which presumably provided a shelter to Nepali rebels and hopefully exploited both the Nepali state and the rebels in order to exploit the spoils from such a continued conflict in between the warring Nepali rivals.

After all, what special benefits have our politicians and the Nepali rebels promised to the alien country for managing such a deal in between the parties and the rebels at time of the negotiation?

This is dangerous if it is so. Thanks Madhav Nepal says that national interests have been kept near and dear while arriving at such an agreement and that the nation will not have to feel the heat of the agreement in any form or whatsoever at a later stage.

Analysts remain confident that comrade Prachanda and his colleague Dr. Bhattarai must not have come to a settlement in Delhi for this agreement at the cost of their own national interests for they are no less a nationalists forces as others in Nepal claim for themselves. Analysts count on their feelings towards their own motherland.

Finally if the said agreement restored peace in this country where peace has become a rare commodity and if the authorities of the alien land did this entire exercise without asking any cost to their efforts to bring peace in this nation, it has got to be lauded.

How the King reacts to such an agreement that has already come under intense debate and severe criticisms from practically all the possible quarters, including some from the signing parties as well, will have to be watched.

King's approval or for that matter disapproval is what is awaited impatiently. Because his positive and negative attitude will determine the future course of Nepali politics.

Prachanda blows hot and cold

Kathmandu: Maoists leader, Prachanda, apparently is changing his tones as regards the Monarchy.

His expressions that have emanated in the recent days contradict his own assertions regarding the institution of the monarchy at least in the eyes of the party that he currently heads.

Talking to the online version of the Krishnasen portal which generally publishes the Maoists thought and hints at the impending moves of the party in an authentic manner, Prachanda implies that ultimately he and his party would wish a Nepal sans monarchy. It is in this light he asserts that the twelve point agreement has been agreed upon with the political parties of the country.

"The very spirit of the agreement is finally to do away with any form of monarchical system in the country and hence this agreement could be a tool, this he implies, to achieve those ends", admits Prachanda in the online version of his interview dated November 24.

But then he does not stick to what he says in the said online interview and takes a U turn when he is confronted with a question from the British Broadcasting Corporation aired Sunday evening.

Look what he says of the King: "Let's see what response comes from them, palace and the king, Prachanda says thereby meaning that he and his party still consider that King has a pivotal role in settling the Nepali conflict. This also means that he and his party would decide the future course of joint actions to be taken only after assessing as to how the king responds to their 12 point programmes.

This is not all.

The firebrand leader Prachanda during the course of the BBC interview admits that "his party would pleasingly accept the prevalence of the monarchy if the people so decide at time of the constituent assembly elections. Concurrently he becomes skeptical of any positive overtures from the palace in favor of the constituent assembly elections. Nevertheless, he is hopeful of the outcome of the elections which he believes would surely go in his favor meaning no space for the monarchy in the country.

Prachanda in the same interview extends a conditioned olive branch for the King and assures the monarchy that if the institution welcomes the assembly elections in a positive manner he and his party would do the needful for managing a space for the institution.

"But the proposal from the palace should be a positive one", adds Prachanda.

He lamented the palace attitude in the past while having dialogues.

That Prachanda is flexible enough regarding the monarchy becomes clear when he says, " the party would consider going to the extent that the King could nominate some persons in the would be interim government that would take care of the holding of the constituent assembly elections".

This is really a matter that provides ample space for the palace to proceed with in the given scheme of things if it so desires at the first place.

All put together, Prachanda is a changed man now at least what could be drawn from his contradictory statements made at two separate occasions.

Should this mean that Prachanda could exhibit more flexibility when it comes to the crunch for settling the conflict once and for all?

The biggest question yet remains: will the rank and file activists in the jungles accept the party's decisions? Will the hardcore militia easily come to terms with their high command that are all set to arrive at a compromise?

What would happen to the safe landing process if some handful of the hard-core militants enters into the jungles defying the orders from above?

The possibility of such a defection thus remains. If that is so would not that mean the emergence of a different sort of conflict in the country under a different pretext?

Is the Maoists' central leadership so confident of its cadres now operating from the jungles given the incidences of extortions, kidnappings and killings continuing till to date? Rumors have it that the Maoists will not extend the ceasefire that expires this Friday for fear of being dubbed as to have served the interest of the establishment at time of the elections at the municipal levels. Also it is said that the Maoists have begun storing strength and energy in the mean time in order to face the challenge of the state in case the agreement is thrown to the wastebasket by the latter.

A gamut of questions thus remain that demand plausible answers.

Nevertheless, analysts wish that the agreement acceptable to the State as well. After all any agreement bereft of State's approval will have no meaning. It is up to the state and the signatories of the said twelve point arrangement to come forward and talk to each other in a give and take scheme so that peace is restored for all time to come.

Twelve years is and should be enough.

Analysts hope wisdom prevailed on both the sides.

Shrestha's book launched

Kathmandu: Jailed leader, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Monday afternoon launched a new book penned by famous journalist, Kishor Shrestha.

The book is a well knit compilation of different political events that led to the culmination of the February one step of King Gyanendra.

The title of the book is " Magh Unnais Ko Mahabharat"'.

A program was organized by Mr. Shrestha on this occasion wherein Nepal's prominent leaders spoke on the importance of the twelve point agreement recently arrived at in between the rebels and the political parties.

The book is a must reading for it also tells the readers as to how the Nepali leaders exhibit their lust for power.

Goodbye to pro-poor tourism

-Dr. Surendra Bhakta Pradhananga, Nepal

Pro-poor tourism is a humiliating phrase used for so-called poor countries the world over. It has a beggar's status in the code of wealthy nation's aid agenda. The rich foreign donors, being ready to provide aid in the name of pro-poor tourism, pro­-poor development seek to appoint yes-­man who would be obedient coordinator in favor of their directives and signals. The co-ordinates appointed by donors are loyal to their order rather than paying attention to the welfare of the nation. The new pilot project aided by foreign donors in support of UNDP is being gradually taken over poor countries. Pro-poor tourism is no more than an aided tourism that increases dependence upon donors rather than taking real development in the country. It is, in fact, making the country listed and categorized as poor nation in the world map in the name of poverty alleviation.

The G-8 nations-the world's eight wealthiest countries met together in Great Britain and discussed the plan to provide aid to the poor countries. The rich nations agenda was targeted to 40 countries declared as poor countries of the world. Africa especially sub-Saharan was on their first agenda. After that Nepal is in the pipeline targeted to be declared as poor country. The phrase pro-poor tourism using in Nepal cannot be tolerated to self-reliant and brave Nepalese. The history of Nepal tells us that Khukuri, the symbol of Gorkhali /Nepali glorifies Nepal as a land of bravery that would tremble the heart of Englishman and English Military general. Nepalese have still such inspiration so long as the enthusiasm and zeal is concerned.

Nations receiving aid have not progressed their economy. Why do donors encourage aid'? The rich donors provide aid in such style that a rich man riding a Benz car throws out a few coins at beggars. Similarly, a master having some personnel throws out a few biscuits as to his dog. The wealthy countries would like to show their philanthropy towards poor nations. It is experienced that aid reduced economic freedom, lost economic sovereignty and discouraged private investment. Foreign aid is back puller with the support of United Nations. But over the last half-century wealthy nations have poured billions of dollars into the developing world with minimal positive results in return. Themselves have stolen much of money in terms of foreign advisers. Even more money has been squandered and little has been hardly utilized to promote a long-term economic growth and development. As the study on the foreign aid carried out by Kathmandu Research Center, 70% money goes back to the same country that provides aid. Beware of foreign aid since Nepal is not to be listed as a poor country in the international prestige. If the money is in right direction, there is no harm to poor countries. But it is not so in this circumstance. Ruling regimes used foreign aid to remain in power even as they impoverished the people in their country. Giving aid to incompetent and corrupted political parties benefits nothing at all. The recipient countries and Third World Governments are required to govern better now than in the past. The world's poor need assistance and cooperation. But foreign aid did more harm than good in practice. We should not repeat it again.

Wealth is calculated at a zero sum game. Rich nations are portrayed as villains who play game to keep the country poor. Nepalese poverty is rooted in government corruption. Corruption is fostered by western aid. Foreign donor's aid enriches dictators, distorts economy and props up bad governments as well as bad governance. Neither parliament nor the Nepalese people were consulted prior to the pronouncement of pro-poor tourism in tourism policy of Nepal. Foreign donors have the freedom to do everything in their power to alleviate Nepalese poverty, whether by donating aid or intervening directly in impoverished nations like Nepal. One day Nepalese bureaucrats and politicians would let their people starve as long as they live in the bed of rose. It is a methodological policy to increase trade and end red tape.

Kathmandu Research Center has given the village tourism concept forming originality in its modality and perception that lease self-sustaining economy in practice. No one has rights to destroy the concept in its originality, nor to badly twist to pro-poor tourism.

Fallaciously, a tourism-related authority working in the pilot project madly said the repeated words in confusing tune that village tourism is not totally a new concept used to give meaning poorly in different faded words as eco-tourism, green tourism, river tourism, sustainable tourism and so on. Finally, a brainwashed person said that it does not matter how it has designed. The Yes-man, who was motivated by donors, cannot speak truth nor figures out the real meaning of village tourism. Just as a blind man carrying a lantern in his hand to lighten the road has no meaning. One should not play the fool and seem foolproof here.

Nepal and Nepalese need village tourism only, and not pro-poor tourism. However it came out from foreign donor's pressures and aid politics. Nepal's village tourism is not pro-poor tourism. nor river tourism, but it has its own originality with specific meaning and significance. The clever donors worked in Nepal have exported Nepal's village tourism concept in foreign land. This is high time to be very conscious to every Nepali and government for watching the role and activities played by UNDP. SNV, DFID etc. in Nepal.

Here is time to say goodbye to TRPAP which has lost the road map of the village tourism. Hence, goodbye to pro-poor tourism and goodbye to pro-poor developments.

The writer is considered as the father of village tourism. Thanks the NTTR Aug. 29 - Sept. 04, 2005, and the author-ed

ENBREF:

Increase in violence against women: Report

Kathmandu : Crime against women especially domestic violence, increased to 922 in 2003-2004 from a total of 569 reported cases of domestic violence in the year of 2002-2003.

A report was submitted on the on-going campaign of "Ensure zero tolerance for violence against women" by the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), a non-governmental organization.

The report also disclosed that trafficking and child marriage has increased from the previous year. Thousands of women are unable to report to police or are deprived of litigation either due to absence of courts in the countryside due to conflict or because they fear further atrocities from the perpetrators, the report added.

Nepal police use fiber optic network

Kathmandu: A communication system with the objective of exchanging information between the security bodies assisting in different sectors, including the crime control, was inaugurated by Inspector General of Police Shyam Bhakta Thapa amidst a program organized at the Police Headquarters in Kathmandu.

It was stated that Nepal Police has now become able to exchange information on the activities of all the departments, divisions and sections by making use of the "fibre optics network", a modern information technology.

3.71 M$ Chinese support for information super highway

Kathmandu: An eight-member Chinese technical team was in Nepal to conduct a feasibility study of a project costing 260 million Nepali rupees (3.71 M$) on building an information superhighway and boost the country’s links with the outside world via Beijing.

The project is funded by the Chinese government and is expected to construct Optical Fiber network under Arniko Highway Project linking Kathmandu and Tatopani and will also provide modern communication facilities to the 150 villages located in the vicinity of the 115-km-long the Highway.

Japanese support

Kathmandu : Finance Ministry sources said that the Japanese government has relieved Nepal from a USD 16 million debts that includes principal and interest applied to various loans up to 2005.

Japan has provided debt relief for loans received by Nepal for the construction of Udaypur Cement Factory and Kulekhani Hydro-electricity projects I and II.

The Japanese government has assured that it will continue to provide assistance for Nepal's socio-economic development, according to the ministry.

Sustainable Mountain Tourism in the Himalaya

With an aim to contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable use of natural and socio-cultural resources for communities in the Himalayan region through mountain development, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and SNV- Netherlands Development Organization has jointly developed a program titled `Sustainable Mountain Tourism in the Himalaya (SuMiT)- Poverty Reduction in Mountain Destination Through Sustainable Tourism: Linking Communities with Tourism Markets.' This program will be implemented in the remote and least developed mountainous areas of Nepal (Great Himalaya Trail, Greater Kailash Mansarovar Area, Kanchenjunga Round), Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill tracts), Bhutan (Great Himalaya Trail, Cross-border at Ha & Trashgang), India (Uttranchal­Greater Kailash Mansarovar Area, Sikkim- Kanchenjunga Round), Pakistan (Northern Areas) and China-Tibet Autonomous Region (Greater Kailash Mansarovar Area, Kanchenjunga Round). The proposal has been reviewed and approved by the governments of all the countries of its implementation besides China.

Covering a population of over 150 millions with rich cultural diversity, the Himalayan region is characterized by immense natural magnificence, lusty landscape and mystic mountains. However, it is also one of the poorest regions of the world. Because of the rapid population growth, the livelihood and the environment of the region is deteriorating everyday. Though these region posses a large potential for the sustainable tourism but the search for the sustainable livelihood in this area is critical because of the ignorance and unawareness.

In this context, mountain tourism provides an opportunity as well as challenge provide gainful employment, income and other socio-economic benefits, at the same time conserving the rich natural and socio-cultural resources of the region. The most promising factor to improve the livelihood of the people of the Himalayan region is tourism development. The challenge is to balance the resource utilization and conservation and to make mountain and tourism development sustainable. The different kinds of adventure tourism activities popular in mountains includes trekking, mountaineering, rafting, cultural & pilgrimage tourism, which can provide ample employment opportunities to a large number of people living in this region. Possibilities exists to develop new tourism products and improve existing products, based in harnessing the natural and socio­cultural resources in a sustainable manner and diversifying tourism to generate additional employment and income opportunities in the mountain areas.

At the same time change and uncertainty in the Himalayan region, when many traditional rural industries are in decline or needing to adapt to stay in business, tourism represents as opportunity to stabilize and support businesses and services. Tourism can also contribute to political stability and many other social problems.

Tourism has mixed impacts on different levels, economically and socially. It also directly supports the local industry by using local products and facilities. However, one of the main problems is that benefits of tourism often bypass local communities and large portion of money earned from tourism are used to purchase goods and services to serve tourists. The leakage of tourism income from the local economy is the result of a poor linkage of the tourism sector with the local production system. Additionally, jobs available are poorly paid and provide insecure employment and tourism demand for basic services and goods can cause dramatic increase in prices.

Tourism activities put pressure on scarce local resources such as land water, energy and food, pollute the environment and reduce bio-diversity and thereby contributing to the degradation of the environment. Tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment also if greater emphasis is given to the environmental protection and conservation. It serves as a tool to raise awareness of environmental values and is an incentive to finance the protection of natural areas and increase their economic value.

Socio-culturally, tourism can lead to a change or loss of indigenous identity and values, cultural differences occur, and the influx of tourists can cause changes in community structure, morality, family relationships and traditional lifestyle and ceremonies.

Tourism, however, also generates positive socio-cultural impacts as it can serve as a supportive force for peace, foster pride in cultural traditions and help avoid relocation from the mountains by creating jobs. Taking action to increase the positive impact and reduce the negative impacts is therefore, not only necessary but also vital to the future sustainability and commercial viability of tourism in the Himalayan region.

Several studies were carried out worldwide including one on Humla, a remote destination in Nepal and based on which several lessons have been learned on tourism and poverty reduction.

The objective of SuMit is to develop sustainable tourism market chains and enterprises, linking communities to tourism markets and contributing to local economies; to develop and support implementation of sustainable tourism and community development planning modalities; to promote partnership between governmental and non­governmental and private sectors organizations for sustainable development of mountain tourism benefiting local communities; operationalize participatory monitoring and evaluation of tourism impacts as a tool for promoting sustainable tourism development; and study sustainable tourism development processes, document lessons learned and formulate policy recommendations for replication and up-scaling.

The governments of different countries have endorsed the proposal of SuMit and its implementation will start from the early 2006. This proposal is different than other conventional approach since here all the required survey, research and interaction session with the local and tourism stakeholders are done prior to the submission of the proposal. This is a huge project and many donors have shown their interest including EU (European Union).

Some of the issues of this project are gender component, which means involvement of women in tourism and prove that they can be successful in tourism business and to prolong the stay of the tourist by developing different means like hub tourism. This project focus on enterprise development and it focuses on all the issues, which were overshadowed in the past.

The synopsis of the objectives are: activities related to product development and marketing, also the first objective include research on demand for sustainable mountain tourism destination and products, marketing of these destinations and products, and ; development of sustainable tourism supply chains including support to rural enterprise development. In participatory planning, the second objective, tourism planning in the destinations and product development and diversification is supported as well as capacity building of local partners in tourism related community development.

'Focusing on an enabling environment, the third and fourth objective, the program will furthermore support the capacities of tourism organizations, the development of Public Private Partnerships (PPP), and participatory monitoring in the destinations. The last or the fifth objective includes joint learning by the project, research, documentation, training and policy development support to the different countries involved.

Both ICIMOD and SNV have been supporting pro-poor sustainable tourism development in the Himalayan region from decades so with the initiation of this project, hopefully there will be probable development in those particular areas from next year onwards.

Assembled by Yeera Pradhan. Thanks are due to the NTTR June 06 - 12, 2005-Ed.

INDIA NEPAL COOPERATION FOR SETTING UP A SCIENCE LEARNING CENTRE (SLC) IN KATHMANDU

Shri Samir Kumar Ray, Director, Central Research and Training Laboratories, of the prestigious organisation, National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata visited Kathmandu in connection with a forthcoming India-Nepal Cooperation Project on setting up of a Science Learning Centre here.

  In his presentation to the Nepalese Government authorities and the Director General of Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST), Lalitpur Shri Ray elaborated on the success that the NCSM of Kolkata has had over a period of 27 years having continuing to increase the awareness of science amongst the school children and general public in India through interactive exhibits and educational activities. As a result of these efforts of the Council, 28 elite museums have been set up over the country and abroad, the latest one being in Mauritius which was commissioned last year.

  Discussions between NCSM and RONAST focussed on the proposed Science Learning Centre in Kathmandu, including details on thematic galleries, fun science, exhibitions, science parks, planetarium (taramandal), educational & training programmes, activity laboratories, mobile science exhibitions that will be the important components.

 NCSM would prepare the detailed project report. In the bilateral discussions, emphasis was on an early time schedule for implementation and the need for high quality maintenance and trained personnel for sustained viability of this important project.

No.Kat/77/05

Dated: November 28, 2005