I've a dream of New Bhutan

Patriotism has its limit

We have been living in the Bhutanese refugee camps for more than sixteen years and almost rotting our precious life for the sake of our motherland. The physical and mental pain faced by the refugees has no limits and the future of the refugee children is bleak. We want to go back home but repatriation in the present situation is meaningless.

Fighting and shouting did not do anything good and we will not stick to the hollow words of any refugee leaders. India made us refugees and has committed a huge crime against humanity. It is reluctant to let the refugees go to their homeland via India. At least one person has died and many were wounded in course of the scuffles with the Indian army near the Mechi Bridge.

The US proposal regarding third country settlement has raised a ray of hope in our minds. However, the security situation in the camps is worsening and it is becoming an unsafe place for the refugees opting for third country settlement. Every refugee wants to go back home but there is no point to stay in the camps.

Khem Regmi
Pathri, Refugee Camp
from Letters to Editors, The Kathmandu Post (link)

Huh! Prince Charming- the new Druk monarch, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in his first speech didn't forget to mention that Bhutanese refugees living in refugees' camps in Nepal are 'ready-made terrorists'. Well boy- I think he is surely going to taste what it really is very soon!

Today, I voice Bhutanese refugees' outcry again- while the Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankhar Mukharjee holds 'discussions' with PM Koirala on other topics including the refugees' crisis. This is just another Big Brother show- and it's disgusting. The real interest of India in Nepal and Bhutan isn't in favour of Bhutanese repatriation. But only time will tell if the increasing frustration and desire to 'do something' among the new generation of the refugees would lead to any armed struggle in near future...

The Druk monarch should be clear of one thing- like our own monarchy- even his days are numbered. How long can you suppress people's voices with the power of guns? How long can India prevent Bhutanese refugees from returning back to their own country from the Indian soil?

I fear if India doesn't understand the language of love and request- everybody knows what the last option would be. I love peace- but the Buddha's seeds of peace are so weak- and even Indians have already forgotten the teachings of Gandhi that now I see only one solution to settle the refugees crisis- a non-violent movement that mustn't come to an end until the Nepali government, Indian government as well as the foreign governments forces the Druk kingdom to accept their countrymen with full dignity and privileges unconditionally.

Violence and armed movement can only deteriorate the situation and lessen the chances of finding durable solutions to the problem- but tell me if politicians heed to our suggestions lest we do some arm-twisting through the barrels of guns and explosions of bombs...

Every Bhutanese refugees' children knows that India is entirely responsible for their current plight. Unless and until, Indian government understands that the potential threat of barring them their natural rights to enter their country could devastate its own country- it's not going to do anything for the Bhutanese refugees. And, I'm sure now the time has come for the refugees to start their fight- it's the potential to devastate even this country, but I am supportive- and I think every Nepali should support them in their fight to return back to their motherland. We are still living in the shadow of our brave ancestors- it's time to come out of the old shadows and cast our own- for peace, democracy and freedom. New Nepal- and now my heart pumps a dream- buried deep in the heap of grief, exploitation, regression and suffering in a foreign land- that dream of a New Bhutan...

Yes- patriotism surely has its limit.

Note: Please, download this report 'Last Hope' to understand the Bhutanese refugees' crisis, their life in Bhutan and the camps in Nepal- their struggle to survive and their pursuit of 'identity'. Click here (in pdf) or on the picture- and save link (target) as to download:

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Young Criminal League's Atrocities

Here is the editorial published in one of the national dailies of the country, The Himalayan Times, today. I seriously think that the Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula is an impotent leader- and worse- he is also shameless with no sense of accountability to his own people. But so is the premier Girija Babu.

The moment this old man breathes his last- all the talks about monarchy will come to an end. But then Maoists Supremo Prachanda will achieve his dream of becoming the president of Nepal in next two years (link).

As it is

A report, Torture Still Continues, published by the Advocacy Forum Nepal (AFN) to mark the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (June 26) states that all forms of torture and human rights abuses are still rampant in the country even after the end of the armed conflict. The AFN, an NGO, claims to have registered 1,313 new cases of torture and rights abuses against both the Army and the Maoists since the April Uprising. While 17 cases of torture, four rape cases and six cases of illegal detention of civilians by the military have been registered with the AFN since April 2006, it has registered 67 cases of torture, one rape incident and 96 cases of abduction against the Maoist side.

This is a surprising revelation, especially because the power of the military to illegally detain civilians is supposed to have been curtailed to a large extent. It is sad that even in the changed political context innocent civilians are targeted and victimised by both the security forces and the Maoists, who are now a part of the interim government. Part 3 of the Interim Constitution (IC) that deals with fundamental rights specifically states, “No person who is detained during investigation, or for trial or for any other reason shall be subjected to physical or mental torture, nor shall be given any cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” As it is the duty of the state to protect the fundamental rights of its citizens and to punish the guilty and ensure that torture victims get due compensation, one wonders what is stopping the government from acting with firmness.

As it is : link
Cartoon: "Did the astrologer also told you that you'll be president? In two years?" link

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Constituent Assembly polls: Just another date

Nepal Sets Constituent Assembly Elections for November

After months of turmoil, political infighting and actual bloodshed consequent on King Gyanendra's relinquishing of absolute power on April 21, 2006, the interim eight-party coalition government (consisting of the Seven-Party Alliance and the Maoists-ed.) fixed November 22 as the new date for the much-awaited and crucial Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. The general public, however, has grown skeptical about holding them under existing circumstances, especially as they've already been postponed.

The government had agreed to hold the elections by mid-June and then postponed them to June 20, but the Election Commission (EC) failed to conduct the polls on both occasions, citing the absence of needed infrastructure and rules and regulations regarding the conduct of the EC itself in an increasingly volatile country-wide security situation.

Nonetheless, a day after the government announced the new date, the EC held a press conference in the capital, Kathmandu, to make the point that, pending the establishment of stability and security, polling might remain an unrealized dream. At the press conference Chief Election Commissioner Bhojraj Pokharel alluded to the need to create an atmosphere favoring a "free and fair" process that could be conducted on schedule.

It seems contradictory for the government to promote the earliest possible conduct of the polls when neither it nor the EC is clear about the protocols to be followed.

Prime Minister (and Head of State --Ed.) Girija Prasad Koirala has received blame for the postponements and the failure of the government to maintain law and order. According to media reports, there are nine major armed groups currently active, with several others grabbing headlines. Two separate factions of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-"Democratic Terai Liberation Front" --Ed.), the armed Madhesi Mukti Tigers (MMT) and the Madhesi Cobra Force top the list of groups responsible for many of the incidents of killing, kidnapping and bombing in the Terai region in recent days.

Then there is the Young Communist League (YCL), a Maoist affiliate, which many claim is made up of cadres who were out of place in the newly recruited Maoist People's Liberation Army, now assigned to cantonments by the peace accord in effect between the rebel party and the interim government. Prime Minister Koirala himself has branded the YCL as the "Young Criminal League" because of its illegal activities. According to UN reports, this Maoist wing has been responsible for most of the recent human rights violations. The YCL has also been blamed for creating a state of terror and intimidation in both urban and rural areas.

The "Madhesi Andolan" (Terai Movement --Ed.) has been underway for some time, and the situation in Madhesh (the Terai-ed.) seems to be getting out of control. The situation there is so volatile that the threat of ethnic conflict looms large, assuming things continue to deteriorate as they have been. I'd written about the need for making the Madhesi movement more inclusive and representative of all Madhesi people regardless of their color or ethnicity in my recent write-up Taking Madhesi Movement to New Heights (May 16) as well.

Unfortunately, there are significant differences among the major political parties in the country. The centrist Nepali Congress (NC) Party, which heads the eight-party coalition, has not made its stance clear on the monarchy, whereas other major parties, like the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist/Leninist-ed.) and the Maoists have found the remarks of Prime Minister and NC head Koirala difficult to construe. A furor occurred after his statement that the monarchy can be saved if the king and crown prince abdicate in favor of the "minor king," Hridayendra, King Gyanendra's grandson and the son of Crown Prince Paras.

Nepal is near to realizing those very dreams and aspirations of the common people who risked their lives in the struggle to restore parliament, which the king had dissolved. The April Uprising, also known as the People's Andolan II, successfully brought the king's autocratic rule to an end but failed to restore peace and prosperity. It failed to institute needed reforms, while coalition leaders began to carry on like autocrats themselves, attending parties hosted by and providing protection to the likes of loan defaulters, corrupt politicians and other officials. In place of the king's absolutism, Premier Koirala's autocratic style, with the help of the coalition, has been to reiterate the hollow promise of building a "New Nepal."

After the infamous Gaur carnage, in which 28 people lost their lives and several others received injuries, I expected the Home Minister (Krishna Prasad Sitaula --Ed.) to resign, taking moral responsibility for the tragedy, as could have been expected in other countries. It was clear that official ignorance and carelessness were in the main responsible for the bloodshed. Sitaula, however, a favorite of the premier, didn't bother to do so. Lately, the situation in regard to law and order in Nepal has gone from bad to worse, but the coalition continues to busy itself in fussing about the dates for the CA polls and chattering about them in order to garner public attention instead of focusing on making the security arrangements needed to conduct the elections in an ambience of safety and tranquility.

Bandhs (a form of general strike --Ed.), work stoppages and chakka jams (organized blockages of traffic --Ed.) have become frequent, as they were several years ago under the "democratic" regime prior to Gyanendra's Feb. 1, 2005 takeover. At the time of writing, a three-day bandh called by the YCL has shut down commerce in five of the eastern districts of the Terai -- Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Udayapur and Rautahat. People have suffered because of these bandhs, which have become common these days, as educational institutions, business centers and factories have remained closed. The Maoists called the three-day bandh to protest the killing of Maoist district leader Govinda Chaudhari by the JTMM.

Just before the Maoist-led bandh, the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), which claims to be leading the Madhesi Andolan, had called a one-day bandh to demand the release of MPRF leader Jitendra Sah, who was abducted by YCL cadres about two weeks ago.

Regardless of the obstacles, the need for solidarity between the coalition and the people to create an environment favorable to the electoral process is of the utmost importance, if for no better reason than that many people still don't know what the CA polls mean. It's time to get beyond lip-service to the real work to be done and justify the faith of the ordinary Nepali that a "New Nepal" is indeed possible.

Despite the massive erosion of my trust in the political parties of our country I too am excited about the CA polls. Now is the time for the coalition and the people to work closely together to ensure that the process can be conducted according to schedule. If the elections are once again postponed, Nepal might regress into chaos, uncertainty and anarchy that could wreck the prospects for its resurgence from the devastation of a more-than-decade-long civil war.

As published in Ohmynews International

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Banishing the poor from cities: Readings

Banishing the poor from cities

According to UN/Habitat, by 2003 almost a billion people in the world were living in slums, with tens of millions being added annually to this figure. The Millennium Development Goal of improving the conditions of 100 million slumdwellers by 2015 will be overwhelmed by the increase in the “urban poor”, as they are known. This strangely abstract expression suggests disembodied hands that open doors, sweep and scour, provide food and clean clothes, vigilant eyes that watch and keep guard, ears alert to the sound of broken glass, the intruder, the thief in the night. Their own voices are rarely heard.

Poor people in the city are almost invariably defined by others. To many in the rising middle-class they are not workers indispensable to the life of the city, but idlers, cheats and criminals. To many non-government organisations they are victims, a hapless population trapped between rural and urban. The Left still attributes to them the heroic role described by Marx, of vengeful proletariat. Transnational corporations cautiously view them as the lucrative markets of tomorrow.

from The Statesman

TAKING STOCK : Elephant Vs an ant

This index in 2006 ranked 157 countries based on 10 broad factors of economic freedom. Nepal is considered a ‘mostly unfree’ country and ranked a dismal 125.

To be considered economically free, a country must maintain an open trade policy with minimal barriers to imports and exports. The most free countries are those where the tariffs are below four per cent and where there are no significant non-tariff barriers. Nepal ranks amongst the worst countries for its restrictive trade policies and a high average tariff rate of 15.6 per cent. Economic freedom means that a country must maintain liberal policies which welcome capital flows and investment. Restrictions must be few in number and not economically significant. There must be transparency and impartial treatment of foreigners. Nepal, unsurprisingly, brings up the rear.

Countries, economically free, maintain an open environment for business. Burdensome regulations deter trade and investment. Countries must have minimal licensing procedures, apply regulations uniformly and treat foreign-owned businesses in a non discriminatory fashion.
Investors may choose not to enter a country where cost of doing business is excessive. With its unfriendly labour legislation, uncertain judicial rulings, and a corrupt and oppressive bureaucracy, Nepal again finds its place at the bottom of the heap.

from The Himalayan Times

The end for Saddam's trusted cousin and lieutenant:
Chemical Ali sentenced to death

But despite the calmer atmosphere of the trial, there remained concerns about its fairness. Richard Dicker, international director of Human Rights Watch, said the impact of the genocide conviction would inevitably be "hobbled" by the problems - including political interference - that the tribunal "faced and failed to fix".

"If the tribunal had more credibility or had it been a joint international-Iraqi tribunal, the verdict would have had more moral authority and legitimacy, and the Kurds' wretched experience would have seen proper redress," he said.

from Guardian Unlimited

समाचारपत्र र महानगरको प्रकाशन फेरि आरम्भ

माओवादी सम्बद्ध मजदुरहरू र प्रकाशन व्यवस्थापनबीचको विवादका कारण अनिश्चितकालका लागि बन्द हुन पुगेको नेपाल समाचारपत्र दैनिकको प्रकाशन सम्बन्धित पक्षहरूबीचको वार्तापछि आइतबारदेखि पुन: आरम्भ भएको छ।

from BBC

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I fell in love - and she flew to Australia

It's time for some insightful lessons on life. So, here I've been posting some of the old but interesting as well as engaging write ups for the past few days. Just trying to break the monotony of babbling about politics and reforms time and again. Time to take a little break. Enjoy.

How everything changed for Carl Carter last year? Here he tells how he made the greatest romantic gesture of his life.

I fell in love - and she flew to Australia

from Guardian First Person Special
Monday January 1, 2007


Saturday

Eight weeks ago I spent £1,000 that I don't have on a flight to Australia. It was leaving that night. I'm no jet-setter, just your average twentysomething: single, flat-sharing and overdrawn. But something amazing had happened that left me with no choice.

It started in a nightclub when a girl called Kat came up and told me I looked bored. This was true - I'd been leaning against the wall, seeking refuge from the sea of sweaty bodies and crap music. The next night we went for dinner. We fed each other dim sum, talked for hours that felt like seconds, marvelling at how much we had in common. We're both passionate about travelling. We can both quote the entire script of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, giggling like schoolchildren into our cocktails. I'll spare you the mushy stuff. Suffice to say, I'd been waiting a long time to meet somebody like Kat. Kat was lovely. Kat thought I was lovely. And Kat was returning home to Australia in three days.

For the next few days, Kat moved in. I cooked her breakfast; we ate on the balcony, hands linked over the table, our breath steamy in the cold morning air. We played Scrabble on the lounge floor, then curled up and watched rubbish DVDs in bed. I took her to Heathrow on a rainy Tuesday night and waved a mournful goodbye. Neither of us talked about whether we'd meet again; I think I was scared I might hear the words "good while it lasted". "Hey, it's just a day away," said Kat, reading my mind. I nodded, gave her a long hug goodbye, and walked away.

Life stubbornly insisted upon continuation. It was the same job, the same house, the same routine, yet Kat was everywhere. She was the discarded cocoa mugs in the sink, the long chestnut hairs still in my bed, the DVD still spinning in the player. I took the plunge and phoned her the next day. I've always hated long-distance calls, but we chatted for hours. The next evening was spent doing the same; this was becoming addictive. I lay on my bed, staring at the same photos and wishing that they weren't of a person now on the other side of the world.

And that was when the idea occurred.

The next day, a week after we first met, I was on a bus back from the travel agent, clutching my plane ticket to Sydney. The flight left in five hours. And I hadn't told Kat.

Sunday

I arrived in Sydney after a torturous 26 hours. All I could think of was how Kat would react. Had I made the right decision by turning up unannounced? There was still time to call, still time to avert disaster, but the romantic in me wouldn't allow it. What was the point in spending a grand on the greatest romantic gesture of my life, only to blow the surprise?

On the drive to Canberra, the highway pushed south for a lonely 272km, giving me plenty of time to play out the following scenario in my head. I'd told Kat she was meeting a friend of mine, who happened to be passing through Canberra with a present from me. There was, of course, no such friend, and the person standing outside David Jones department store, next to the merry-go-round, at 1pm, would be me.

After delighting her with my arrival, the rough plan was to go for a drink, check myself into a hotel for the first night, then ... at this point the plan ended abruptly, as did the highway.

I made my way nervously to Canberra town centre 45 minutes early, and paced around, obsessing over my opening words. I settled on a casual, but jovial, "You're right, it is only a day away!" delivered from behind her back, to be replaced with a large grin when she turned around. Time passed in an odd, juddering way. At 1.02pm I was still pacing. And suddenly there she was. Standing with her back to me, peering around looking for my friend, every bit as beautiful as I remembered.

When she turned and saw me, I forgot everything. Her mouth dropped open and I blurted an odd, weak greeting, as if all this was perfectly normal. We had the briefest of clinches, then she said, "My mum and sister are here." This was very bad news.

She led me to a nearby bench, where a middle-aged woman sat with another in her 20s. "Mum, Hilary," explained Kat (and I could hear in her voice how freaked out she was), "this isn't Carl's friend. This is Carl." They smiled politely. I realised, with fleeting disappointment, that they hadn't been fully briefed. "We were just off to get some lunch," Kat said, and the four of us began walking.

This was not going to plan. All I wanted to do was fling my arms around her and tell her I really missed her, but, instead, I was being forced to assume the role of a placid freak who'd travelled the globe on a whim to "hang out" with a mate. Kat, left to assume whatever she liked, was looking increasingly alarmed. We had a light lunch in a cafe that played out like a Pinter scene with everybody discussing the price of milk and nobody daring to broach the topic of what this Englishman was doing at their table. The trickiest part came when her mother asked, "So, how did you and Kat meet?"

Mercifully, we were eventually left on our own and I drove us to a nearby park where we walked around, hands stuffed in pockets. I tried to put my arms around Kat, but it felt awkward and staged, like an over-eager date trying to cop a feel in the cinema. I sat on a bench and took a deep breath. Time to talk. I began with a stuttered apology for turning up out of the blue, a faltering explanation that I'd not meant it to be this scary.

"I don't know what to say," said Kat, after a pause that felt like eternity. "It was an amazing thing to do. It's just ... I don't know if things can be the same as they were in London. I've only just got home after two years abroad. I only just saw my mother again. I only just came out of a long relationship."

These statements rained down on me like meaty hailstones. I felt sick inside. It began to dawn on me how naive I'd been to assume we could carry on where we had left off. Kat took some of it back, sensing my disappointment and reassuring me that she was glad I was there. But then how could anyone reject me outright after I'd come 10,000 miles? What I had done was such an over-bloated gesture that any attempt at honesty would seem inappropriate. "I'm sorry it couldn't be how you planned," she said. "I think I just need a little time to adjust." I drove to a pokey motel on the other side of town, and sat in silence on the edge of the bed. Kat had half-heartedly invited me into the family home, but I declined; I felt I'd intruded enough already. I turned on my phone and it began to fill with messages from friends at home, tentatively asking how it had gone. I considered my response, and began to cry. A week suddenly felt like a long time.

Monday

I met Kat again. We had breakfast in a cafe like two relatives waiting for bad news in a hospital. After eating, we drove to Lake Burley Griffin and sat on a picnic mat, knees touching our foreheads, a metre-wide chasm between us. I asked myself: what have I done wrong? I'm still the same person she'd met in London.

Finally, I could bear it no longer and declared I was going home. Kat looked surprised, and for the first time I saw a flicker of something behind the gloom. "I really do want you here," she said, "but to be honest - what were you expecting?" The question caught me off-guard. "What you've done is incredible," she said. "Nobody's ever done anything like that for me before. But what the hell were you thinking, you idiot?" I smirked at this absurdity. Kat laughed, too. The tension was finally broken and we hugged tightly for what seemed like for ever.

I postponed my escape, accepting instead an invitation to lunch with the family and then, unexpectedly, things began to look up. The Englishman was a hit. Sitting at a pavement cafe, I shared jokes with the sisters and swapped stories with mum. I saw Kat looking proudly at me and hoped it was a good sign. We spent the afternoon and evening shopping together, but once again it became difficult, alternating between comfortable conversation and strained silences. I tried to play it cool, but I was trapped between Kat's need for an easy life and my own need for reassurance. The tension was driving me mad. Eventually, I came up with a plan. I'd head off to Sydney for a couple of days, give her some time, and return for the weekend. Maybe my second visit would feel more normal than the first.

Tuesday

We grabbed some lunch at a pavement cafe before my sojourn to Sydney. Confident of my plan, I felt less pressure, and conversation flowed easily. As I was talking, I noticed Kat looking at me in a funny way. Then, without warning, she leant forward, put a hand on my shoulder and kissed me, tenderly and warmly, on the lips. As soon as I relaxed and stopped pressuring her, it all seemed to work.

Finally, I was feeling the moment again, and Kat seemed to be, too. I kissed her a long goodbye until the weekend and drove off. I saw her face wrinkle into that cute smile as it receded in my rear-view mirror to a blur, a white dot and then nothing.

And that's the last time I saw her.

After two days in Sydney, I called, eager to make plans for the weekend, but got a shock. Kat sounded evasive. There would be family staying. We might not get time together. It might not be worth my while. I was about to launch into a persuasive counter-argument when something made me stop. And in that instant, everything became clear. There I was, miles from home, having emptied my wallet and bared my soul. If this was to continue, I would need a hell of a lot more back than I was getting. I swallowed hard, then told Kat I agreed. It wasn't worth my while. Maybe some other time. We'd stay in touch. With a heavy heart, I hung up, dialled the airline, and travelled home that same night.

Today

I'm back in London, wrapped in a woollen jumper, gazing out over the bleak winter skyline. It's two months since I stood in that manky nightclub and Kat walked over to alter the course of my life. I've recovered from the journey, but I haven't spoken to her since. She never did call, despite her promises. I still think about her a lot, but my friends are their usual brilliant, supportive selves. There's only been one embarrassing moment when I cried in their kitchen but I maintain that it was the tequila fumes.

In many ways, I've learned a lot. I don't regret going to Australia. If things had worked out, I'd be writing a very different, very smug story. Conversely, if I hadn't gone, I'd regret never knowing. I've always been an impatient romantic, and I now see that it's a selfish combination. I fall for people quickly and then make unreasonable demands on them to have similarly strong feelings back.

My journey has definitely changed me. Strangely, I feel more confident. It may not have worked out this time, but at least I am prepared to go to such lengths to answer life's questions. Would I do it again? Possibly. When you're loved-up, you make spontaneous decisions. But at what point does a big gesture cross the line from romantic to foolish?

Maddeningly, I still don't know. It scares me that one person can make me behave so irrationally and lay my heart open to such massive damage. But the world needs some craziness, otherwise it would be a very dull, predictable place. Maybe I'll just limit myself to European flights next time.

link to the original here

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Start Watching Korean Movies

I've started to watch Korean movies- and I regret of not being able to watch them earlier. Today, I watched A Millionaire's First Love ("Baekmanjangja-ui cheot-sarang"), directed by Kim Tae-kyun; Screenplay by Kim Eun-sook. And I loved it. It's a clean movie- a very good movie to watch with your friends and family.

I liked the love story very much. Earlier, I'd watched Sex in Zero (don't watch it with your family)- and I couldn't believe that even a sex comedy could move me. I could relate to the character- and it's the best way to enjoy a film. It's one of the best movies I've watched- and yes-I've not watched many Korean movies.


Another movie that I liked was Life in A Metro- good songs, and a great plot. I don't want to do serious reviews here. Enough of me.

Tomorrow, I'm going to watch Hostel: Part II. Even if I couldn't watch Hostel: Part I twice- it's a horror movie that scares you- normally I don't start jumping, shouting as I watch movies- but last time when I watched the first one- I felt so excited. Watch 'em- but not the faint-hearted ones. I'm serious- even I couldn't watch the first movie twice- although I was showing it to all my friends- and their friends as well.

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Father & Son: Memoirs

After reading Beena's memoir on her father, I was moved so much. That kind of relationship I've always longed for- but never received. My relationship with my father is a difficult one- we have never spent a single hour even once in each other's company as long as I can remember. But I can't stop wondering about his well being when he is not back home early in the evening.

I'm sorry father for many things, many many things...
Please, forgive me...


Down at the crematorium

there is a grey metal box.

Inside in the furnace

bodies burn,

bamboo-slats are pushed in

and a frazzle of grey hair

aureoled in fire.

There where love,

skin and bone

are reduced to ash

memory stamped upon

history obliterated.

Where I burnt my father

There the torch is transferred

There when you turn to look back

There is nothing

but the black tunnel of time,

a great big wind of dark

and only the dark to run to.

And the torch

and the howl to show the way.

Father& Son, by Champak Chatterjee

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Beauty of Old Kathmandu: Photographs

Updated on August 21, '07

Photographs © Dwarika Das Shrestha

Two moments in time:
Two prints from the exhibition ‘A Moment in Time’ show Dharara and the New Road gate in 1959. What is striking is the excellent visibility, so the Nagarjun ridgeline looks uncharacteristically close even though it seems to have much less vegetation than it does today. The reason for the clean air could have been that there were very few cars, as seen in the photograph of New Road where the statue of Bir Shamsher on horseback was still standing. (link)

A slideshow here

Commoner's Heritage:
The beauty of old Kathmandu is reminiscent in these old photographs. I'd uploaded these photographs in 2005. After searching my old directories of previous websites, finally, I rediscovered Jurika Shakya's webpage. She had also uploaded the photographs back then- but I'm quite lazy, I'm yet to trace the actual photographers. But I believe these photographs are our property- our common heritage. So, I'm posting some of the old photographs of Nepal's capital valley today.

Enjoy.

Thapathali Durbar (Palace) Complex 1920 AD (1977 BS)

Bridge over the Bagmati river 1880 AD (1937 BS)

Swoyambhunath Stupa 1870AD (1927 BS)

New Road (Pipalbot) 1936 AD

Hanuman Dhoka Palace World Heritage Site 1870 AD (1977 BS)World Heritage Site 1870 AD (1977 BS)

Royal Palace 1910 AD (1967 BS)


Ranipokhari & Durbar High School (behind) 1900 AD (1957 BS)

Bir Hospital 1915 AD (1972 BS)

Sital Nivas before 1934 earthquake (before 1990 BS)

Ghantaghar & Ranipokhari 1920 AD (1977 BS)
Kamaladi Ganesthan 1915 AD (1972 BS)

Chandra Jyoti (now Nepal Electricity Authority) 1915 AD (1972 BS)

Tudikhel in 1920 AD (1977 BS) along the Military Hospital

Click to see more photographs here.

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Mera Scooter Chori Ho Gaya

Treat to your ears


One of my favorite recordings of all time. Recorded in the voice of Indian literary giant Bhisham Sahani, this is LilaNanda Lal's satirical piece on how his scooter was lost.. The author presents the incident in a very funny way- and I listen to this recoding time and often to laugh. Download it from here and give a treat to your friends' ears.

Obviously, the mp3 is in Hindi.

I've written about it earlier too (The Happiest Man Ever). Seems I just can't forget the music of his voice and the humour that tickles your soul.

Click here to listen (Right click to "Save as" and download)

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From Bhutanese Refugees to Terrorists: Druk King

Politicians everywhere are the same. They seldom understand the language of love and peace. Like our politicians don't heed to people's voice until a catastrophic bloodshed and massacres take place (Maoists Insurgency & Gaur Violence) or a series of blockade, strikes and bandas are organized.

It's time for the Bhutanese refugees to come out of the refugees camp again. Noam Chomsky said-

"The real question people have, I think, is, "What can I do to bring about an end to these problems that will be quick and easy?" I went to a demonstration, and nothing changed. Fifteen million people marched in the streets on February 15, 2003, and still Bush went to war; it's hopeless. But that's not the way things work. If you want to make changes in the world, you're going to have to be there day after day doing the boring, straightforward work of getting a couple of people interested in an issue, building a slightly bigger organization, carrying out the next move, experiencing frustration, and finally getting somewhere. That's how the world changes. That's how you get rid of slavery, that's how you get women's rights, that's how you get the vote, that's how you get protection for working people. Every gain you can point to came from that kind of effort—not from people going to one demonstration and dropping out when nothing happens or voting once every four years and then going home. It's fine to get a better or maybe less worse candidate in, but that's the beginning, not the end. If you end there, you might as well not vote. Unless you develop an ongoing, living, democratic culture that can compel the candidates, they're not going to do the things you voted for. Pushing a button and then going home is not going to change anything."

It's time for the Bhutanese refugees to do something- just looking towards the foreign countries won't do. I, personally, think that we Nepalis should take part in their fight to regain their national identities.

India- this country will always exploit the miseries of South Asian countries to meet it's own imperialistic benefits. It's America of South Asia. The Indian rulers will not heed to the rightful demands of the Bhutanese refugees. After all, why should they care after they have had already dumped a majority of them into our lands. And even our lands as being transgressed- thanks due to the impotence and faithfulness of our Nepali political dogs on the top of authority towards the foreign masters.

Once, Baburam Bhattari had written in an article published in The Kathmandu Post two years ago that without violence even Gandhi's non-violent movement would have failed to chase out British from Indian soil. Yes- he is right. Now, Madhesi people are diong the same thing (armed struggle) to ensure that their legitimate demands are fulfilled. The new Druk king once labeled the Bhutanese refugees as "ready-made terrorists". I can see clearly if the current imbroglios doesn't come to an end- and all the Bhutanese aren't repatriated and given their rightful places in the country and the bureaucracy- the day isn't far when the whole Bhutanese kingdom will be torn apart in a bloody civil war and his majesty's much-feared 'terrorists' attacks.

It'd be a threat to Indians and the Druk regime- but I'm just waiting for the one-big Blitzkrieg. After all- we can't believe that the younger generation of Bhutanese refugees are all going to accept their fate- some might be bold enough to fight and lead a Bhutanese Repatriation drive. Wait- the pressure is being built continuously inside the camps- the day isn't far when the big explosion will take place.

But unfortunately, our shortsighted politicians, ignorant Indian leaders and aristocratic Bhutanese rulers are too busy to notice it. But we can notice it- it's time for us to do something. Perhaps, Baburam has some solutions- ask him.

Understand the whole Bhutanese refugees crisis. Download link.

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Indo-Nepal Border Dispute

Dispute over Kalapani, Susta: Border row to be resolved on proof

Himalayan News Service

New Delhi, June 12:

Officials of Nepal and India have agreed to resolve the Kalapani and Susta dispute on the basis of documents both countries possess.
Representatives of the two countries signed a joint minute in this regard at the end of a two-day meeting of the Joint Technical Committee on Nepal-India Boundary that concluded here today.
The leader of the Nepali team and Director General of Land Survey Department, Toyanath Baral, told this daily ere that the 29th meeting of the committee, that was formed 29 years ago to deal with the Indo-Nepal border dispute, was an ice-breaking one.
Both Nepal and India lay claim on some parts of Kalapani and Susta regions.
The meeting also decided to end the dispute over the Dashgaja area along the border. Both sides have kept almost all records of encroachment along the 1880km-long border and both have agreed to keep the Dashgaja area clean, he added.
According to an official who attended the meeting, the Indian side was more flexible this time around.
The meeting also decided to set up a mechanism to immediately deal with other problems of similar nature on the border, Baral said.
Complaints that pillars demarcating the border were removed by Nepal and India at different times also figured in the meeting and an understanding was reached that this should be stopped, Baral said.

India: Foe Disguised As Friend?
A tale of transgression and Nepali Politicians' Impotence

Kathmandu Diary
2007/01/05

Shasastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indian paramilitary guard, had started fencing at the Indo-Nepal border in Hile area of Pashupatinagar VDC-4, Illam, the easternmost region of Nepal about one week ago. They have already finished fencing 200 meter. They have even encroached into Nepali territory at two border pillars at Pashupatinagar.

It seems the Indian Home Ministry has increased the number of SSB battalions recently on the border not because of the fear of Maoists or ISI spies’ infiltration into India via the open Nepal-India border but to implement an old-strategy of transgression.

After the SSB started fencing into the no-man’s land, local administration, Area police office and locals have requested the Indian side to stop such activities.

"India has once again overruled the international law on border," Sonam Lama, Pashupatinagar Border Administrator said. He further said that if both the countries didn't resolve the issue soon, it will become more complicated.

"Its absurd that India keeps on repeating such activities," an infuriated local said. Locals have also threatened to initiate ‘any-kind of necessary movement’ if such activities are not stopped immediately.

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer, Lekhnath Pokharel said that the report prepared after the study of the case have already been forwarded to the ministry for further steps As per international law on border, neither of the neighbor countries can perform any activities in the no-man’s land.

Reports prepared by Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, a renowned border expert, after thorough survey made it evident that India has encroached about 59,970 hectares of Nepali territory at 54 points in 21 districts adjoining India in the east, west and south, several years aback. However, if the areas affected by India’s unilateral activities such as construction of dams and irrigation projects are considered as transgression, then as per to researcher Phanindra Nepal, the number of India’s transgression into Nepali soil further increases up to 85 points.

Back a year or so, "Save Susta Campaign” launched by Nepalis had made headlines. Tribeni-Susta which is situated on the east of Narayani River in the mid-southern part of Nawalparasi district was encroached by Indian forces which invaded Susta and burnt down the entire sugarcane farm which was spread in some 10 hectares of land. Reports like that come now and then, and it is same: Indian paramilitary forces don’t even fear to manhandle Nepali citizens: men or women and even children.

It is noteworthy that the natural factors behind the dispute over the Indo-Nepal border have posed a problem for Nepali authorities to find solutions to this problem. Over the decades, the Narayani River has been changing its course inside the Nepalese side in the west, which has provided India with opportunity to claim more than 13,500 hectares of Nepalese land as their own.

It’s not more than a month ago, when Shashatra Sima Bal (SSB) forcibly transgressed into Nepalese territory and took control of over hundreds of bighas of land in Bardia district. SSB even fenced the encroached Nepali land with wires and have distributed it among the Indian farmers.

"We have been complaining about the transgression to the district administration office in Bardia, local political leaders and representatives of civil society but they are not heeding to our request," locals complained.

Although Chief District Officer of Bardiya Bimal Prasad Dhakal, Superintendent of Police Ghananda Jha and Chief of the land reform office had jointly inspected the area upon the repeated request of the locals, there has not been any development in this regard so far.

Locals cite frequent change of officers at the District Administration Office as one of the main reasons behind the issue not receiving the due attention of the concerned authorities.

Similarly, Kalapani-Limpiyadhura area with 372 sq km (37,800 hectares) is the largest chunk of Nepali territory encroached by India. The encroachment started right after the India’s defeat in India-China border war of November 1962. After facing defeat, the Indian army set up a camp inside Nepal's territory of Kalapani to keep an eye on Chinese activities. But now, they shamelessly claim that the area belongs to India.

It’s not bygone historical evidence. But ever since their first forceful takeover in 1961, the Indians have continued to own Nepali lands in border areas such as Gurka Kuti, Naavi, Gunji, Chadaru and Tinkar. Among the five places of the Byas region, besides Chadaru and Tinkar, all other places are under India's control.

How could India ban us, Nepalis, from entering our own land ? It is a fact that after strong reaction and condemnations from the Nepalese press, India has banned Nepalese as well as its own citizens from trespassing into the confiscated areas of Kalapani.

Nepali experts have repeatedly opine that there are many border points where not a single Nepali soldier is seen to guard our territorial integrity and guarantee safeguard of our own citizens. Our farmers and citizens have been repeatedly suffered due to Indian SSB’s atrocities, and our concerned authorities are still mum- like their faithful dogs.

It was not a joke that more twenty-five to thirty Nepal-India Joint Technical Level Boundary Committee meetings which were held in the last 25 years have failed to address the issue in a significant manner. It clearly illustrates the lack of Nepali politicians’ sincerity and patriotism.

Nepal is a land-locked country, and requires Indian assistance to fulfill her economic and other goals. India could be, and seems to be, a partner in this regard. But why do they feel its right to occupy Nepalis soil every now and then. It is noteworthy that the then Nepalis Government had gave some land on lease to India to construct Koshi Barrage in Sunsari district. But India did not return it even after decades of expiry of the lease date. Neither India closed the project office, nor did it return the land. Neither had it signed any agreement, nor did it get the project renewed.

The April Uprising that ousted King Gyanendra was successful not only due to own blood and sweat, but also largely due to Indian influence. But we shouldn’t feel indebted towards India for it is a moral duty of any neighbor countries to help its neighbor in time of crisis. We can’t pay price of our land to express our gratitude. India must revise its expansionist policy and stop considering Nepal as one of its tributary states.

One can easily surmise, how complicated and difficult it would be for Nepalis to retain their own lands until those who are in power in Nepal don’t stop asking for help in form of economic and other aids from India counterparts. It seems, without becoming economically independent, Nepal can’t exert real pressure to India. Now, it is in our very own hands to safeguard our territory, but many doubt if Nepali politicians can abandon their self-interests for the national interest or not. If they can’t put national sovereignty before their political interests, it is crystal-clear that India will be increasing its transgression drive without much difficulty. And we, ordinary Nepalis, would be languishing that these politicians are Sati’s own curse to Nepal.

Read more on Geography of Nepal Wiki

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Why Women Commit Suicide?

While flipping through one of my files today, I came across this newspaper cut…

To Sylvia Plath

SYLVIA,
You etched out the
Mirror of death
From life’s infidelities.
You could have
Gone on living
Clutching on the pain
That you felt within, but
You chose death instead.
Your poems are read out
And perhaps dissected
Within the cold comfort
Of whitewashed
Classroom;
To me,
All this makes no sense
—
Your poems
Were your offerings to yourself
Blossomed as they had
On the wounds of
Rejection and betrayal.


By Basabi Dey
July 26, 2004, 8th Day, The Statesman

And now I don’t know what to say. I just don’t want to think anything. I swear...

Feb 6th, 08



“Commit suicide? Oh, no. That’s ugly, you don’t do that.”

Note: I know why you're here. Let me tell you, this is the only post that gets hundreds of visitors on a regular basis. You're not the only one to feel this way. Lots of people felt and still feel what you're feeling. Please go through this study of Persona- I'm sure it'd be helpful. If you can find this 1966 movie, please watch. And, I know my friend won't see this. He don't want to read anything. He says- Suicide is not a solution. This severe pain, this frustration… Why are you committing suicide? To get rid of these things- to find peace, to be happy? But when you’re done, you won’t be able to feel if you found any. I’ve thought about it…

Once he told me- Salik, you’re so restless, you want to express everything, you react so much… but sometimes in life such things happen, I’m not telling it’ll happen but it may, and all this would be gone! You won’t be able to say even a single word…

The last advice I got from him was to go through scientific facts. “I’m not sure but I think it’d help you. Understand evolution- study it deeply. What is reality? Quantum physics. You’ve not studied many things, you gotta study so much…”

He was talking about genes, time and what we human beings really are from scientific point of view- from truth as it is and not through spiritual or religious point of views. Since he saw my short meditation retreat that I took last month had failed to make me calm or restore my ‘peace of mind’- he at last spoke his mind. Perhaps, we would find an answer to this suffering. Maybe.

But please live to know if I do….

Update: Feb 01, '08

I was with my friends on usual evening walk. We had only reached Basantapur when I saw a crowd in front of the historical nine-storey palace. Some people were talking and pointing towards the top of the palace. I looked at the top- there was a window- ajar as always. Only few days ago, I’d mounted up the narrow stairs of the palace with one of my close friends. That was the same place where we sat down and talked about our future for hours.

However, today the window was an exit from the present but there was no future. A woman in her mid-twenties jumped off the window along with her two-three years old daughter. The people said that she jumped off with her daughter in her tight embrace at around noon today. It was suicide- no doubt but it was too hard for me to get back into my usual work after that.

Just a few days ago, my friend had encountered a corpse in a very worse condition. She noticed that the corpse was of a pregnant woman. “The smell was unbearable,” she said to me, “Her swollen belly could explain why she took such a harsh decision to end her life and that of her unborn.”

“Her yellowish eyes were bulged out, and her pale blue lips were slightly open,” she continued in sad tone still perplexed as how to describe the horror, the grief and shock of having seen a tragic end in her life so early. “Her skin was so pale and rotten and her hair was messy. There was not even a single sign of life in her entity- no mark of blood circulation in her body like it was in mine,” she was frightened herself seeing the corpse is such a miserable condition.

The woman who jumped off the nine-stored palace today and the woman whom my friend had seen a few days ago- both unidentified- these two pictures were repeatedly coming into my mind as I sat down to eat. No one recognized the dead persons- I doubt if their spouses choose to stay quiet. I wonder if the family or relatives of the deceased persons also kept mum in fear of persecution or bad reputation. If the people living in the society came to know about the connection between the dead and her family- it would be too hard for them to live there.

Women- in backward societies like ours- are suppressed, exploited and tortured by their male counterparts. The issues pertaining to gender equality and justice for women suffering from domestic violence, marital rape and gender discrimination are such complex issues.

It needs courage to raise debates and discussion on such banal issues in our society. But only raising issues about women empowerment and gender equality are not enough- we’ve come to realize this. We have to also make strict laws and implement them effectively. We need to regain the trust on the very system of judiciary- most of the cases of women exploitation and rapes are not known here due to the lack of faith in the power of judiciary to give justice or punish the culprits. Even when a victim of such abuse or torture gathers necessary courage to speak, she is rather discouraged not to do so by her own family and friends. Yes, this is the bitter truth about being born as a woman here.

But why did the women kill themselves and their babies? How could a mother be so cruel? Was that a case of betrayal by their partners? Was it poverty that compelled the woman to kill herself and her infant daughter? I really don’t know. Women who get pregnant before marriage are taboo in our societies. However, the legal introduction of abortion in medical institution of the country has decreased such news of suicide by pregnant women nowadays. But as these two incident clearly shows- such incidents could still occur at any time any day lest we start thinking about the ways of preventing such incidents even more seriously from today.

Images: The first one is from Taxi Driver, I at times think it inspired virginia tech shooting... other 1

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Prachanda- Beware! Danger of PLA-Mutiny

A potential danger of PLA-Mutiny is looming on our peace prospects.

“Why should we rot in cages when our leaders ride around in Pajeros,” Limbu asked. “We got sick of camp life. Every night a couple of friends would get snake bites, there would be no medical treatment, and storms would destroy the tents. If the leaders don’t care about our welfare, why should we stay in the camps?”

Rebels rebel
Jana Astha, 6 June

Three weeks ago in Ilam’s Fikkal, the Maoist PLA detained three young men and took them away. No one knew who they were. It is belatedly known that they were three former guerrillas who had taken part in a rebellion from the Danabari camp.

This week, Jana Astha got a call from an Indian number from a certain Khadga Limbu purporting to be the leader of the mutiny. Limbu said he had taken part in many battles on behalf of the PLA but he and his followers had gotten tired of living a hard life in the camps while Maoist leaders enjoyed themselves in Kathmandu. The mutiny was planned a few weeks previously in Sitali Bajar in a meeting of up to 60 hardcore guerrillas. The plan was to kill the battalion vice-commander and capture weapons. Then they would attack the police stations in Danabari and Surunga, capture more weapons, and flee to the hills. There was no concrete plan about what to do after that, but the mutineers were confident they could continue the guerrilla warfare from there.

However, the plan leaked out, and the battalion vice-commander started taking action against suspected mutineers, torturing them and taking them to labour camps. Limbu says he fled from the area and is now with four other armed guerrillas. He says thousands have deserted the Maoists in recent weeks and the numbers of fighters inside the camps has fallen from 31,000 to between 25-29,000. “Why should we rot in cages when our leaders ride around in Pajeros,” Limbu asked. “We got sick of camp life. Every night a couple of friends would get snake bites, there would be no medical treatment, and storms would destroy the tents. If the leaders don’t care about our welfare, why should we stay in the camps?”

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Learning to Learn

Few notes of reminder...

Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need more.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

Experience is what a comb gives you after you lose your hair.

Well done is better than well said.

Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make them when nobody is looking.

Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.

You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.

I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Pessimist: A person that looks both ways when crossing a one way street.

The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an approaching train.

Where there's a will there are five hundred relatives.

I have a drinking problem - I can't afford it.

Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.
Death is hereditary.

Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them.

Light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off as a part of cost cutting !

There are some things that money can't buy. For everything else, my salary isn't sufficient !!

I always try to go the extra mile at work, but my boss always finds me and brings me back.

They can't fire me, slaves have to be sold.

Home is where the television is.

Everyone should have a spouse, because there are a number of things that go wrong that one can't blame on the government.

There are three sides to every argument: your side, my side and the right side.

An expert is someone who takes a subject you understand and makes it
sound confusing.

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