Return-Path: <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu> Received: from mp.cs.niu.edu by library.wustl.edu (5.0/SMI-SVR4) id AA06484; Tue, 14 Jun 1994 18:11:40 +0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA18249 (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for nepal-dist); Tue, 14 Jun 1994 17:08:01 -0500 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA05871 (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for nepal-list); Tue, 14 Jun 1994 17:07:57 -0500 Date: Tue, 14 Jun 1994 17:07:57 -0500 Message-Id: <199406142207.AA05871@mp.cs.niu.edu> Reply-To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@mp.cs.niu.edu> From: The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu> Sender: "Rajpal J. Singh" <A10RJS1@mp.cs.niu.edu> Subject: The Nepal Digest - June 15, 1994 (2 Ashadh 2051 BkSm) To: <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> content-length: 43737 Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 18
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The Nepal Digest Wednesday 15 June 94: Ashadh 2 2051 BkSm Volume 28 Issue 4
Today's Topics:
1. TAJA_KHABAR:
Arun III Delegation in US
Teaching Safe Sex in Nepal
2. KATHA_KABITA:
Yeti Song
Brahmacharya in Crisis!
3. KURA_KANI:
I. Social Issues
Teachings of Buddha
II. Politics
Re: Nepal Ko Kabzaa Kiya - Phone Prompts
4. ENTERTAINMENT:
Movie Reviews - Little Buddha
5. JAN_KARI:
Driving License
6. TITAR_BITAR:
Yatra Barnan - Glimpse of Nepal Part V.
*****************************************************************************
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* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
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* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" - Sirdar_RJS_Khalifa *
* *
*****************************************************************************
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 10:46:00 -0500
Forwarded by: "Sirdar_RJS_Khalifa" <a10rjs1@corn.cso.niu.edu>
Subject: yeti_song
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
YETI SONG
(Marlin Spike Werner)
Beyond the Ganges River
In the mountains of Nepal
There lives my hairy yeti,
She's the fairest of them all.
She's lissom and curvatious
And as Yeti's go, she's tall
She's my hirsute mountain beauty
She's the fairest of them all.
Full my heart and gone my reason
We have love for every season
She's my own, my hairy yeti,
Fairest of them all.
Her hair is like angora
>From the first cold nip of fall
But in summer, when she's moulting
She has nothing on at all.
Her smile is lost in hairiness,
Her nose is cute and small,
And her eyebrows are so shaggy
I can't see her eyes at all.
Full my heart and gone my reason
Love finds fire in any season,
She's my hairy yeti,
She's the fairest of them all.
High up on Sagarmatha
When the cold is hard and blue
And the wind is icy needles
And I'm frozen thru and thru
My ever-loving Yeti
Takes me up in her embrace:
The warmth of her four bosoms
Draws the frostbite from my face.
Full my heart and gone my reason
Love finds fire in any season,
She's my hairy yeti,
She's the fairest of them all.
She wraps me with her coziness
Against the chill monsoon,
Or we sit in summer twilight
Singing lovesongs to the moon.
She's an international heroine--
Holds Asia in her thrall;
She's an undisputed citizen
Of China and Nepal.
Full my heart and gone my reason
We have love for every season;
She's my own, my hairy Yeti,
She's the fairest of them all.
Alternate CHORUS: Salute the flag and throw confetti
China made the first spaghetti
She's my own, my hairy yeti,
Fairest of them all.
Copyright 1982,
by Marlin Spike Werner
**********************************************************
Subject: Nepali prompts when calling Nepal
To: <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
From: Sanjay Manandhar <sanjaym@sni-usa.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 94 13:02:20 -0400
Dear Readers,
As far as I know, most of the foreign prompts when calling
foreign destinations come NOT from the foreign telephone switch but
from your LOCAL switch.
Hence, if you want to fix the "Hindi" prompt problem, the best
way is to contact your international carrier (e.g. AT&T, Sprint, MCI,
etc.) company and tell them that the lingua franca of country
code 977 is not Hindi, but Nepali and that YOU are willing to make
arrangements to find a suitable voice expert (they will not accept just
anybody's voice prompt). A would suggest a business letter to the
Customer Service Representative should work, especially during these
times of cut-throat international service competition.
Ideological tirades don't help. Pragmatic business solutions
go a long way.
Regards,
Sanjay Manandhar
******************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 15:16:02 EDT
To: a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Nepali Driving License=International D. License=Mass. Driv. License???
From: isha@titan.ucs.umass.edu (Isha Sharma)
atuladhar@vax.clarku.edu wrote:
: Nepali Driving License: What good is it in Massachusetts?
: ==========================================================
: I have a valid Nepali driving license. Is this the "international" driving
: license one can use to drive legally in massachusetts or US?
: The RMV was telling me such a license must be verified by the embassy or
: consul of Nepal. Is there a consul in Boston who can do this, what is the
: process and address or phone numbers?
In Nepal, they have started giving a standard driving licence with both
Nepali and English words in it. It is ID size and laminated. I am not
sure whether it is international or not!
For yor information,
here are some excerpts from the Licensing Rules and Procedures, Mass.:-
"- Upon becoming a Massachusetts resident an out-of-state or an out-of-
country driver must obtain a Massachusetts Operator's License and
Registration(number plates). Applicants applying who present a
license which has not expired ....(for US states and territories only)
may be issued a license provided: ( conditions given)
"- Applicants transferring an out-of-country license to a Massachusetts
license must take a written test and a road exam. The road exam
shall be waived when an applicant is converting a license from a country
that is party to the "Convention of Road Traffic of 1949".
"NOTE: Any driver's license not in English must be accompanied by an
original translation certified by a bilingual notary public, or by
a teacher at an accredited college or university. Any driver's
license from a foreign country listed on the "Convention on Road
Traffic of 1949" must be accompanied by a statement of validity on
an original letterhead of the home country's embassy or consulate".
According to the above rules, no matter whether you have an international
license or not you have to take a written test. You can only get
the road test waived, if you fulfill all other requirements.
A German friend bought and registered a vehicle but did not convert
his German driving license because of all the troubles,
and operated it for two semesters, as a non-resident is
allowed to drive temporarily with his original license.
However, he had to pay a very high premium on insurance for his car.
Therefore, though I had a Nepali license, I thought it wiser to
take the exam. Insurance company considers for the years you have
been driving and gives discounts if you present them your
Nepali license. However, you must have a MA. license.
Therefore, I would like to advise you to go for one.
Go and get a free copy of Driver's License Manual from the RMV
before you go for the written test. They ask all questions
from the book only. Prepare yourself for the parallel parking,
this is probably the only thing Nepali drivers are not familiar
with. You will easily pass the other tests. Just be careful and
never try to show off that you are an expert driver. Because one
person who drove for years in Saudi Arabia is said to have failed
b'cause she drove with only one hand on the steering.
Hope that this will help you!
-NAGENDRA
***********************************************************************
Date: June 13, 1994
Forwarded By: Rajpal J. Singh <a10rjs1@mvs.cso.niu.edu>
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Brahmacharya in Crisis!
Brahmacharya in Crisis!
-----------------------
"And he took the vedic message accross the seas,
Boldy, confidently and charismatically, he delivered,
The cosmic truth to the citizens of every creed ...."
Such BRAHMACHARYA was Vivekananda ... my mom continues,
Such control he had over unwanted desires .... my mom stresses,
And he accomplished all this in his bachelor-hood .... my mom smiled,
Such a role-model, you oughtta follow .... my mom concluded,
I was barely eleven years old!
Too busy playing soccer and hide-'n-seek
The only stimulation I was aware was during the morning flushings;
I well remember the giggles in the Junior-high
As we flipped through the pages under chapter human reproduction,
"Linga, Birya, Yoni, Sambhog" - all sounded like "sahityik" words
That I used to struggle during my Nepali and Sanskrit classes.
High-school days, as I recall, filled with curiosity
Afraid to ask, limited to my friends and cheap Indian romance books;
How we used to sit back on the soccer field and joke about it.
And how one of us would acknowledge of self discovery -
Victims of tease and sudden burst of laughter - as we all agree.
University days encountered with sporadic copies of Playboys
Wondering how our counterpart (women) thought of their sensuality
And some more adult movies with friends on the VCR -
I thought to myself - yeah, I know what human sexuality is.
Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, a cool slogan then it was -
Heavy metal, sex pistols, Holywood movies and strip tease,
Suddenly has left me overwhelmed with intense desires -
And I can't sitback but think - You misled me, didn't you?
I know now - my BRAHMACHARYA is in deep CRISIS!!!!!!!!
- Sirdar_RJS_Khalifa
June 13, 1987
******************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 15:31:12 EDT
To: a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu
From: anon29b8@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Anonymous)
Subject: L.B. Review
THE TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA
---------------------------
Just what the original teaching of the Buddha was is a matter of some debate.
Nonetheless, it may be said to have centered on certain basic doctrines. The f
irst of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha held, is suffering (duhkha). By this
, he meant not onl
y that human existence is occasionally painful but that all beings--humans, ani
mals, ghosts, hell-beings, even the gods in the heavens--are caught up in samsa
ra, a cycle of rebirth, a maze of suffering in which their actions (KARMA) keep
them wandering.
Samsara and karma are not doctrines specific to Buddhism. The Buddha, however,
specified that samsara is characterized by three marks: suffering, impermanen
ce, and no-self (anatman). Individuals not only suffer in a constantly changing
world, but what a
ppears to be the "self," the "soul," has no independent reality apart from its
many separable elements.
The second Noble Truth i that suffering itself has a cause. At the simplest lev
el, this may be said to be desire; but the theory was fully worked out in the
complex doctrine of "dependent origination" (pratityasamutpada), which explains
the interrelation
ship of all reality in terms of an unbroken chain of causation.
The third Noble Truth, however, is that this chain can be broken--that sufferin
g can cease. The Buddhists called this end of suffering NIRVANA and conceived
of it as a cessation of rebirth, an escape from samsara.
Finally, the fourth Noble Truth is that a way exists through which this cessati
on can be brought about: the practice of the noble Eightfold Path. This combi
nes ethical and disciplinary practices, training in concentration and meditatio
n, and the develop
ment of enlightened wisdom, all thought to be necessary.
For the monks, the notion of offering extends also to the giving of the DHARMA
in the form of sermons, to the chanting of scriptures in rituals (which may als
o be thought of as magically protective and salutary), and to the recitation of
sutras for the de
ad.
All of these acts of offering are intimately involved in the concept of merit-m
aking. By performing them, individuals, through the working of karma, can seek
to assure themselves rebirth in one of the heavens or a better station in life
, from which they
may be able to attain the goal of enlightenment.
The Academic American Encyclopedia, online edition, Grolier Electronic
Publishing, Danbury, CT, 1993.
*****************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 15:31:49 EDT
To: a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu
From: anon29b8@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Anonymous)
Subject: L.B. Review
LITTLE BUDDA
by Roger Ebert
* *
Prince Siddhartha ...... Keanu Reeves
Dean Conrad ............ Chris Isaak
Lisa Conrad ............ Bridget Fonda
Jesse Conrad ........... Alex Wiesendanger
Lama Norbu ............. Ying Ruocheng
Miramax presents a film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Produced by
Jeremy Thomas. Written by Mark Peploe and Rudy Wurlitzer. Based on a story by
Bernardo Bertoluccci. Photographed by Vittorio Storaro. Edited by Pietro Scalia
Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto. Running time: 120 minutes. Classified: PG (for some
disturbing images).
Bernardo Bertolucci's "Little Buddha" tells the story of a young Seattl
e
boy who may, or may not, be the reincarnation of a venerated Buddhist teacher.
While his American parents try to deal with this possibility, which is explaine
d
to them by visiting monks from Tibet, the movie intercuts its modern story with
a retelling of the life of Prince Siddhartha, who grew up to become the Buddha.
The modern sequences lack realism or credibility. The ancient sequences play
like the equivalent of a devout Bible story. The result is a slow-moving and
pointless exercise by Bertolucci, whose "The Last Emperor" was a much superior
telling of a similar story about a child who is chosen for great things.
Let's begin with a not exactly hypothetical question: If you were
approached by a Tibetan monk, in robe and sandals, who explained that your
10-year-old child is a reincarnated Buddhist teacher, and if the monk invited
your child to Tibet, how would you expect to react? No plausible answer to that
question is contained in this movie.
Instead, Bertolucci creates a Seattle family which, in its own way, is
more unreal than any of the more spiritual families in his story. Chris Isaak
and Bridget Fonda play Dean and Lisa Conrad. He is an architect whose ambitious
skyscraper project has just gone into bankruptcy. She is a schoolteacher. Their
son, Jesse (Alex Wiesendanger), is a bright, pleasant young boy. One day Lama
Norbu (Ying Ruocheng), a Tibetan monk now living in Seattle, dreams of a hill
with their house upon it, and is drawn to the family. He explains that some nin
e
years earlier, his wise and holy teacher passed away, and that ever since he an
d
his fellow monks have been alert to signs of the great man's reincarnation. It
now appears that Jesse may indeed be that person.
Lisa Conrad is home alone when the monk first comes to visit. She
invites him into their home, and is intrigued, although unsettled, by his news.
Later Dean also hears the story from the monk. At first he is hostile to the
news. But then, after his business partner commits suicide, he has some sort of
spiritual experience that causes him to question such matters as life and death
,
and eventually he agrees to accompany Jesse and Lama Norbu to Tibet.
The spiritual experience takes place off screen, which is perhaps just
as well, because nothing in Chris Isaak's underwritten character is even
passingly convincing. The writing, the role, the casting, or all three, never
work. The American father comes across as cold, closed-off and not very bright;
and he has so little dialogue that occasionally we hope for him to say two
sentences in a row, so that we can find out something more subtle from him than
how, in a word or two, he "feels" about something.
The mother, played by Bridget Fonda, is a more interesting character,
and it is a shame her character doesn't accompany the father and child to Tibet
-- a shame because Lisa Conrad is more articulate, and also because the movie
cries out for answers to the kinds of questions any mother would ask (such as,
"You mean you really want to take my child away from me and take him to live in
Tibet?"). Since the Conrads are not Buddhists, it is a bit much to expect them
to understand the theology behind Lama Norbu's plans, although the monosyllabic
architect does allow, at one point, that he has been "doing some thinking."
Early in the film the monk gives the little boy a picture book about
Prince Siddhartha (Keanu Reeves). This book, which greatly resembles free
airport literature, is then read by the boy and his mother, triggering
Bertolucci's flashbacks to the origins of Buddhism. (The movie's color strategy
,
by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, schematizes these flashbacks by drenching
them in warm reds, oranges, yellows and browns -- as opposed to the chilly
blues, grays and greens of all the American scenes.)
What I kept waiting for in "Little Buddha," unsuccessfully, was some
clue about Bertolucci's attitude toward his material -- some slight skepticism
or detachment. Here we have a fundamental clash between two cultures, presented
with the simplicity of a religious comic book. I cannot imagine a Buddhist
filmmaker, subsidized with church money, making a film with less complexity or
irony -- rather the reverse, in fact. Has Bertolucci become a Buddhist? Does he
believe the little boy is a reincarnated monk? Is this movie a holy story, for
our edification?
The scenes in Tibet are astonishingly simpleminded, especially after it
appears that two Asian children may also be candidates for the reincarnation of
the holy man. These three children (who eventually are said to embody three
"sides" of the dead monk) are given scenes in which they play and talk together
-- all speaking English, of course. The movie is not even interested enough in
the complexities of its story to suggest that there might be cultural
differences among the children, or their parents. We're in Buddhist Sunday
School here.
COPYRIGHT 1994 THE EBERT CO. LTD.
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 14:31:07 -0600 (MDT)
From: Ajaya Sharma <ccasharm@antelope.wcc.edu>
Subject:
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
I saw the following posted on somebody's office door. Found pretty funny.
Thought I'd share with you all.
Why Worry!
There are only two things to worry
about. Either you are well, or you
are sick. If you are well, then
there is nothing to worry about.
But if you are sick, there are two
things to worry about. Either you
will get well or you will die. If
you get well there is nothing to
worry about. But if you die there
are only two things to worry about.
Either you will go to heaven or
hell. If you go to heaven there is
nothing to worry about. But if you
go to hell, you'll be so damn busy
shaking hands with friends, you
won't have time to worry.
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 16:23:21 -0500 (CDT)
From: Padam Sharma <sharma@plains.NoDak.edu>
Subject: Kurakani by Padam Sharma
To: Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Glimpses from Nepal ...V: Political Kaleidoscope
During my visit to Nepal, I had no time to get deeply involved in details
of contemporary political culture. However, during casual conversations
with friends and acquaintances of different political background, I
gathered the following perceptions of their respective positions. Some
wordings are theirs while most of the spin is my own political
soul-searching. The conclusions are definitely mine.
Congressis
I don't hear any good news about Nepal in the US. What is going on?
We were left with a corrupt and inept bureaucracy by the Panches. We
are going through a transition time of leadership development and
bureaucracy streamlining. Current crisis of personalities are expected
due to party members wanting to share the power of the government and
general frustrations by those who are not in the power.
Is there a hope for the future? Yes, we have to patiently wait for the
old guards to retire. We are optimistic that young leaders will have the
vision to lead the country unscrupulously.
What about the charges of corruption, congressization of bureaucracy,
and Indianization of the county? Due to prolongued one party rule during
the Panchayati regime, corruption was ingrained in our bureaucratic and
political circles. It was important to remove those old guards of the
Panchayati era who were corrupt to the hilt. We also had to reduce the
cost of the government by downsizing the departments. Of course,
some of this purge was done with a political ferver to reward our supporters.
Our citizens from Terai and other minorities were discriminated during
the Panchayat regime. We are trying to correct it by promoting some
bureaucrats from Terai and moving them in Kathmandu and other districts.
Unfortunately, this has given a perception that we are Indianizing the
country.
Another factor that is contributing to the perception is our policy of
inviting investment from foreign capitalists. Indian capitalists have a
traditional cultural foothold in our country. The free-market policies
have visibly increased the flow of capital and number of capitalists from
India. When Nepali capitalists can not compete with their Indian
counterparts in a free market economy, complaints and emotional outcry
that the present government is favoring Indians are quite natural. We can
not culturally and economically isolate ourselves from India and become
prosperous on our own. Working with them is the only way to negotiate a
better position for our national development.
Will you win the next election? We think we will. We offer the best
political and economic model for the country. Communism has failed
around the world, and we can not experiment with it in Nepal.
Prajatantris have no direction for the future of this country except
taking us to the past. Unfortunately, the leadership squabble at
the center is hurting us. We are working in a transition stage
plagued with personal greed, old habits and cultures.
There is still a lot of goodwill towards us and the general public
has not lost faith in us. We anticipate that the electorate will
give us some more time to shape the course of the country. It
will take some more years for democracy and economic development to
establish root and bear fruit in Nepal.
Communists
In light of the fall of communism around the world, what is the status
of communist movement in Nepal? Will all the left-centrist-progressive
forces and underground-above ground personalities ever unite?
We will remain diverse in our political philosophy, modus operandi, and
personalities. The UML will provide a forum for free exchange of ideas
and, hopefully, we will emerge with program and policies for the
development of the country.
Do you have a political philosophy, macro economic model and social
policy for the country? Will it be private sector oriented economy or
state control all the way? We are still building consensus over these
vital issues, but a compromise close to the Chinese model will perhaps
emerge.
Will you then purge the views and opinion of non-communists and
dissenters? Not neccessarily. We will work within the framework of
current constitution and make social and economic progress like the
Marxist state governments of West Bengal and Kerala in India.
Are you satisfied with your role in the opposition? Yes we are, and we
have done a good job of keeping the Congress Party and GP government in
check.
Are you ready to win the next election and govern the country? Not yet.
We still want the country to go downhill so that the foundations of a
grass-root leftist revolution will be laid solid.
What are the positives and negatives of a possible UML government in
Nepal?
Positives: We can mobilize grass root support for decentralized
infra-structure development. We can also break the vicious circle of
corruption and nepotism that has plagued the country so severely during
the Rana and the Panchayati regimes. Instead of eradicating this corrupt
culture, the Congress government has introduced its own hierarchy of
scrupulous individuals in the bureaucracy. We hope to purge the
corrupt bureaucracy, hopefully, with honest and hard working individuals.
Negatives: We will have difficulty in harnessing capital resources needed
for the development programs due to skepticism from western donors and
the media. We will also have difficulty raising revenues needed for our
promise of social programs of employment, health , education and
welfare. We will also create chaos in the country in our effort to
eliminate corruption from bureaucracy which may make the work impossible.
We may have tensions with India due to fervent anti-Indian
feeling within our rank and file and the perception that we are
aligned with the Chinese.
Prajatantris (royalists and ex-Panches)
What is your perception of the country now?
The congressis have sold the country to the Indians. Scores of Indians
are now buying lands and opening industry in Kathmandu and other parts
of the country. We are loosing our national and cultural identity.
People are frustrated with multi-party democracy that has brought the
influx of Indians and displaced the Nepalis.
Are not you confusing our own Marwari citizens and people from Terai as
Indians? Some of them, but most are pure Biharis. You have to visit
old-Baneswar for proof.
What is your alternative program for the country then? Congresis kowtow
to Indians and the communists might take us north towards China. We will
restore national pride by standing firm between the two giants. We
believe that we can negotiate a better deal by staying neutral.
Do you have any economic agenda different from the Congress? Not yet. We
do favor Nepali capitalists over Indians.
What about corruption and nepotism? Previously we had few individuals
taking bribes and misusing their power but always with fear of authority.
These days, everybody is the sucker and there is a free for all for full
fledged corruption. One reason is lack of job security for the
bureaucrats. There is an urgent need to restore a sense of discipline
and uplift the morale of the bureaucrats.
Conclusion
1. The Nepali Congress rank and file is filled with talkers and dreamers
who don't work hard and opportunists who take advantage of the power.
The decision making process is still entrenched in the "Ji-Hazuri"
mentality and nokarshahi culture of government and shadow-government
personalities. I noticed that those opportunists who gained by chanting
"Jaya Desh Jaya Naresh" during the Panchayati Raj are still at the
forefront. Only the slogan has changed to "Jaya Nepal". The country is
going down the drain with mismanagement, corruption and ineptitude.
Nepalis are born optimists but the onset of democracy has not brought a
flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. Hey! If the old guards are
the problem, then throw the bums out.
2. Over booze and sekuwa in smoke filled rooms, the communist
intellectuals and leaders are coming of age in political thinking and
maturing the art of cynicism. In the mean time, the proletariat is
getting poorer and desperate. I wish they would stop procrastinating
and produce a viable alternative program for the country. The
country needs a fundamental change of direction based on the
realism of Nepal but not on the idealism of Marxism-Leninism.
3. The ex-Panches are riding high on the negativism of Congress, skeptism
of the Communists with a fervent anti-Indian pitch (This pitch is also
used in full force by the communists). They do have
a strong nationalistic and `things were so good during our
days' message for the electorate. They are lead by individuals who
had their hands in the cookie jar during the Panchayati Raj and they
miss that taste of power. The King is very popular, and on
his coat tail, they might stage a comeback in the next election. If
this coalition of nationalists and corrupt interests win, the country
will then take a giant step backward.
LORD PPNATH....PLEASE WAKE UP!
**************************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 15:05:35 PDT
To: a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu
From: "VIVEK S. RANA" <RANA@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: Taja_Khabar:ForTND Publication
Arun III Delegation in U.S
--------------------------
A high level delegation consisting of 3 Secretaries and a World Bank
representative are in Washington to finalize the deal of Arun III. The
finance Secretary, Water resources and Law secretary along with a World Bank
representative are in Washington to expedite the approval with the World Bank.
The approval is expected to be reached by the end of this week
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 1994 17:18:43 -0500
Subject: Nepal combats AIDS by teaching safe sex to the young (7998 bytes)
From: dkhanal@nyx.cs.du.edu ([Master of the Universe])
Subject: Nepal combats AIDS by teaching safe sex to the young
ELECTRONICALLY REPRODUCED WITH THE PERMISSION OF:
THE EDITOR
"DEPTHNEWS ASIA"
PRESS FOUNDATION OF ASIA
P.O. BOX 1843
MANILA
PHILIPPINES.
NEPAL COMBATS AIDS BY TEACHING SAFE SEX TO THE YOUNG
----------------------------------------------------
KATHMANDU (Depthnews) -- Alarmed at the steady spread of infection with the human innunodeficiency virus (HIV) among her people, Nepal has begun modest efforts to teach the virtues of safe sex to young students.
This is a major shift from the previous official position stressing only abstinence from sex to prevent HIV infection. HIV causes the deadly acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The new approach is viewed as much more realistic and practical in a country where sexual promiscuity is common and widespread.
Under the new scheme, aside from abstinence, blushing school children -- some as young as 10 years of age -- are given lessons on physiology and biology, including the reproductive system.
"We are catching them young, well before they become sexually active (and faced) with the firk of infection out of sheer ignorance," says Dr. Aruna Uprety, an Ukraine-educated medical doctor with the Women's Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) in this city who is conducting sex education classes for young students.
"Mothers and fathers are being encouraged to explain the reproductive system to their children...(to give the youngsters) a better understanding of the situation," she said.
Even carpet factory workers are being invited to discuss how to reduce the risk of infection. Information about AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is given to them. They are also taught the use of condoms for safe sex. Atht e same time, they are encouraged to undergo HIV testing voluntarily.
"I would not say it has started working and is perfect, but a modest beginning has been made to enlighten citizens about the fatal disease," said Dr. Upreti.
The programme to include AIDS education in school curricula is being developed by the Curricula Development Centre (CDC) of Nepal's Ministry of Education and Culture. The CDC has already prepared a resource book on AIDS for school teachers which gives basic information on the disease.
"The curricula on AIDS education is expected to be ready soon so that it could be tested and introduced from the next academic year (which begins in February 1995)," said Dr. Subedi.
Nepalis start sexual activities early, marrying as young as 10 years of age and starting to bear children at 16. An apparent attempt to discourage this in the 1970 Marriage Registration Act which fixed the minimum age of marriage at 18 years for girls and 21 years for boys. Nepalis are now eligible to vote at 18 years, instead of 21, thanks to the revival of multi-party democracy in 1990.
WORDC is one of two dozen non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which are undertaking HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns among high-risk groups. The NGOs offer village girls income-generating opportunities through a financial grant from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR).
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been asked to strengthen the efforts of the NGOs towards an integrated approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. UNDP assistance is being sought to promote access of NGOs to high-risk groups, and to make available a combination of economic, social and educational interventions to help slow down the pace of transmission of the disease.
"It is taking longer time than we expected," said Dr. Bal Krishna Subedi deputy chief of the National AIDS Control and Prevention Programme in Kathmandu. He added that approval of UNDP assistance will take a little time.
The idea of offering sex education at school was initially met with some opposition. Parents expressed fears that sex education so early could lead to early or increased sexual activities among young people.
A 1992 study on sexual behaviour shattered the popular myth that Hindus in Nepal are genetically strong and culturally incorruptible to be at risk of infection with HIV.
It showed that sexual promiscuity is common: 23.2 per cent males and 14.9 per cent females admitted having had premarital sex. Some 20.5 per cent admitted engaging in extra-marital sex. The average age for the first sexual encounter was 10 for girls and 13 for boys.
Since HIV test is not mandatory, fewer than 80,000 persons have undergone the examination. The health ministry said 191 of those who came for tests (including 97 women) tested positive; 24 were found to be full-blown AIDS cases. Of those with AIDS, 11 have already died. Most victims are aged between 20 and 40 years.
Fears have been expressed that because of poor surveillance, AIDS could sweep Nepal's entire hills.
Initially, infections were mainly among female sex workers. They have since spread to males with high-risk behaviour. This indicates that infection is now spreading to the general population, probably mainly through sexual contact.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says HIV cases in Nepal are under- reported as only a few have turned up for test. It estimates HIV positive cases to be as high as 5,000 at present. HIV infections could total 100,000 by the year 2000.
"We are seeing the number of AIDS patients doubling every six months," says Gene Valdies, an international consultant. "That means if we go by the WHO estimate, there will be 80,000 cases of AIDS in Nepal by December 1994. In other words, Nepal is a low prevalence country on the brink of a major AIDS epidemic."
HIV test facilities are available in only 12 of 75 districts. The Nepal Red Cross Society runs an additional 16 blood centres. But the existence of the test facilities has encouraged an increasing number of people to undergo tests.
WHO provided US$1.8 million for a three-year medium term plan to help improve AIDS test facilities in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar which are known to have big "floading ppulations" which create a demand for sex workers.
"Nepal has the most conducive factors for the rapid transmission of the disease," says Dr. Bal Gopal Baidya, member of the influential National Planning Commission in charge of health and population, among other things.
A major risk factor is the estimated 200,000 Nepali sex workers who are lured into the world's oldest profession by "dream merchants" who sell them to brothels in India for anything between US$200 and US$500. Once they test HIV positive, they are sent back to Nepal.
Another risk factor is the heavy migration across the open, common border with India by Nepalis in search of unskilled jobs. In addition, there are about 15,000 intravenous drug users who share infected needles. Nepalis infected with STD are also more vulnerable to AIDS.
Also a possible source of HIV infection are Gurkha soldiers and policemen returning home after taking part in UN peace-keeping operations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. A ranking military medical officer claimed that so far, no cases of infection have been found among army people.
"Each one of the army personnel returning home from abroad undergoes HIV tests...and we are happy to let you know that we have not found any of our personnel suffering from AIDS until now," said Brig. Gen. Dr. M.m. Malla, director of the medical services of the Royal Nepal Army.
Creating greater awareness about AIDS appears to be the main challenge for Nepal while numbers are still low. -- (Depthnews Asia)
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