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The Nepal Digest Monday 7 Nov 94: Mangshir 4 2051 BkSm Volume 33 Issue 5
Today's Topics are:
1. From The Editor's Desk
2. KURA_KANI:
Re: Caught Between Cultures: A True Story
Re: Women in Hinduism
3. TAJA_KHABAR: News From Nepal
4. Entertainment:
Satire: English lessons
Humor: Top 10 TND List
5. Article: Nepal - Political and Economical Crossroads
*****************************************************************************
* TND Board of Staff *
* ------------------ *
* Editor/Co-ordinator: Rajpal J. Singh a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu *
* SCN Correspondent: Rajesh B. Shrestha rshresth@black.clarku.edu *
* Editing Editor: Padam P. Sharma sharma@plains.nodak.edu *
* Discussion Moderator: Ashutosh Tiwari tiwari@husc.harvard.edu *
* Looking For Correspondent: Sudeep Acharya sa01@engr.uark.edu *
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* The Nepal Digest (TND) *
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* 1. Message from TND Editorial Board *
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* 4. KATHA_KABITA: Literature *
* 5. KURA_KANI: Economics *
* Agriculture *
* Forestry *
* Health *
* Education *
* Technology *
* Social Issues *
* Environment *
* Tourism *
* Foreign Policy *
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* 6. Entertainment (Humor, Recipies, Movie Reviews, Satires etc.) *
* 7. JAN_KARI: Classifieds *
* 8. Immigration/Taxes *
* 9. TITAR_BITAR: Miscellaneous *
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* The Nepal Digest(TND) is a publication of the Nepal Interest Group for *
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* been published in other electronic or paper journal with proper credit *
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* *
* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
* "If you don't stand up for something, you will fall for anything" - Anon. *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" - Sirdar_RJS_Khalifa *
* *
*****************************************************************************
******************************************************************
From: Rajpal J. Singh <a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu>
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: November 7, 1994
Subject: SCN Cross-postings.
Dear TND Members:
Congratulations, once again, for all the activities on TND!
I would like to thank each and every one of you for your
active and/or silent participation that has propelled
TND into near completion of its third year.
My personal thanks to TND Editorial Board Staff for keeping
TND alive during my absence and motivating and waking me up,
time to time, during my not so active (due to other obligations)
times. Sudeep Acharya joins us as "Looking for Members" Correspondent.
Please send your "Looking for friends request" to sa01@engr.uark.edu.
TND welcomes SCN postings. Please understand that most of our users
do not read SCN because they do not have NNTP (USENET) NewsReader
access. If you would like to post SCN articles, please make sure
that the threads are complete. SCN articles posted from in-between
threads will not be entertained for simple reason that TND members
will have no idea what you are talking about! Also, make sure that
you post it to nepal@mp.cs.niu.edu. You can NOT expect SCN articles
to be on TND automatically. SCN is a newsgroup with instant turnaround
whereas TND is a compiled digest.
On behalf of TND, wishing you the best ........
Rajpal J. Singh <a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Founding-Editor/Co-ordinator
The Nepal Digest (TND)
Subscription/Questions/Information: nepal-request@mp.cs.niu.edu
Article Contribution: nepal@mp.cs.niu.edu
**********************************************************************
Date: 6 Nov 1994 17:17:01 U
From: "Arun Shrestha" <Arun_Shrestha@grg.unh.edu>
Subject: Some News.
To: "TND " <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
BRICKBATS AND BLACK FLAGS GREET KOIRALA
(The Asian Age, Oct 30, 1994)
Kathmandu, Oct 29: Nepal's caretaker Prime Minister, Girija Prasad Koirala,
is facing criticism and discontent on the campaign trail, a Nepali Congress
Party source said on Friday. Supporters of dissident Nepali Congress (NC)
independent candidates have been displaying black flags against Koirala
wherever he campaigns.
Mr Koirala addressed a public rally at Dailekh, west of Kathmandu, on Thursday
and was pelted with stones, the party source said. Parliamentary elections
are being held November 15. The two leaders of ruling NC Koirala and its
president Krishna Prasad Bhattarai are in a hectic campaign in the far western
districts to woo the voters in the name of "stabilizing democracy."
Almost all the walls in Kathmandu have been painted with the slogans of the
different political parties but only a very few streamers of the independent
candidates are seen. (AFP)
GANESHMAN SINGH SUPPORTS DISSIDENTS
(The Kathmandu Post, Nov 2, 1994)
Kathmandu - On the eve of the mid-term poll, NC supremo Ganeshman Singh issued
an appeal that throws light on his dissociation with the Nepali Congress, the
differences between the party and the government and his views on the forth-
coming elections.
The appeal states that his responsibility as the supreme commander of the
movement for the restoration of democracy will be over only when democracy is
institutionalized through an economic revolution that will raise the people's
standard of living and contribute to the process of nation building.
Singh referred to the befell on him because of which he had to suspend his
nationwide campaign to rouse public awareness about the grave condition the
country and democracy was sliding into. The appeal further states that
although mid-term poll was absolutely unnecessary, it had become a necessary
evil. Since all efforts to protect democracy had been in vain, it had become
necessary to counter the trend of promoting self aggran-dizement that threw
to the dogs the dignity of the House and democracy itself.
And the mid-term poll could present an excellent opportunity for doing so.
Singh said that if the sentiment of the people's movement could not become
a living reality then anti-democratic, and authoritarian forces would once
again have the nation in its grip. If this happened then not only the spirit
of democracy but also nationalism would be killed and in the process the
Nepali identity would vanish.
Singh said that democracy is a process of dialogue, but he deplored the fact
that his own party colleagues had not resorted to this means. Singh further
elaborated that persons like Girija had not been able to embrace his process.
Pointing out the weaknesses of Nepali Congress, Singh said that the government
had rendered the party manifesto into an ineffective piece of paper. He
further added that the all powerful party president had been brought under the
government. He further elaborated that he had made it clear that if the party's
leadership and its organization was not overhauled from the central to the
district level and if its institutional development did not take place within
three years then he would withdraw his support. But his stand was not
considered and the party had become bereft of morals, ideals and objectives.
With his appeal, Ganeshman Singh has thrown his hat in favour of all dissident
NC candidates in the forth-coming parliamentary elections in order to trounce
congressmen supporting Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
"Fulfilling the dreams of the martyr's is my ultimate aim", Singh said, and
added that the main concern should be to institutionalize the democratic
dispensation and work for the preservation of nationalism and democracy."
"I can only support dissident candidates morally due to my frail health."
His appeal urges everyone to vote the dissident candidates to oust the
corrupted congressmen favouring the present Prime Minister Girija Prasad
Koirala.
"Vishwobhoomi", a Nepal Bhasha daily adds (Nov 3) - NC activists are spreading
the rumour as the appeal issued by Ganeshman Singh is not genuine. Hence,
soon audio cassette version of the appeal will be circulated throughout the
country. The duration of the cassette will be 30 minutes.
CHEERS, APPLAUSE ... AND BLACK FLAGS
(The Kathmandu Post, Nov 2, 1994)
Kathmandu- It's been quite a campaigning for Prime Minister Girija Prasad
Koirala. Wherever he goes, he's been greeted with cheers, applause ... and
black flags.
Thus, Tuesday in Nawalparasi was no different. A group of local opposition
workers staged a demonstration with black flags when Koirala went there to
address a Nepali Congress election rally.
The black flag affair got a little out of hand when rival groups attacked
each other. A number of persons were reported injured and police have
arrested half a dozen people.
Earlier, Koirala had to face another bout of spirited opposition at Rupandehi
when local supporters of a rebel "independent" candidate taunted him with
opposition slogans.
"Vote for watch" (independent's election symbol) they shouted as the prime
minister was leaving the local playgroung where the rally was held.
ELECTIONEERING OVERSHADOWS TIHAR FESTIVITY
(The Kathmandu Post, Nov 2, 1994)
The election campaign has overshadowed Tihar festivity. Banners, pamphlets,
posters, flags and symbols of political parties and election candidates seen
almost everywhere - on street-lamp posts, on walls, ore even on the tarmac
of the busiest road - outnumber Diwali decorations.
While "Chunau pachhadi" (after the election) is on the lips of practically
every job-holder, the painters are working overtime to meet all their clients'
demands before the election. They seem to be the busiest of all during the
Nov 15 election campaign.
All the political parties and election candidates have also composed slogans
and songs based on their election manifestos. They have also made stickers,
badges and even T-shirts, which they hope to sell as many as they can.
"The thing next to garbage is graffiti everywhere," says a disgruntled
resident of Mangalbazar, Patan. "I don't think anyone, not even the party
that wins the election, will take the responsibility to clean up the election
END OF THE NEWS
******************************************************************
Date: 06 Nov 94 18:18:50 EST
From: Rajendra.P.Shrestha@Dartmouth.EDU (Rajendra P. Shrestha)
Subject: News11/3-6
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
HEADLINE: U.N. slams human rights abuse in Nepal
The United Nations Human Rights Committee accused Nepal Friday of a
number
of serious human rights violations.
Cases of torture and disappearance of persons took place in
Nepal but were never investigated, the U.N. experts said. Nepal was
also criticised for discrimination of women in practically all areas.
HEADLINE: British army divided on future of Gurkhas
By Justin Dear
HONG KONG, Nov 6 (AFP) - They are recognised as some of the best
soldiers in the world, but there are those in the British army who
feel the Gurkhas have outlived their usefulness and should go.
But the future of the Brigade of Gurkhas after their base here
reverts to China in 1997 is not a simple issue.
Powerful voices both within and outside the army are calling for
them to stay on, while the British government will have to weigh the
political odds before making a decision.
Recently Britain's Secretary of State for Defence Malcolm Rifkind
told parliament there would be a future for the Gurkhas, despite the
fact that in July they were formed into a new regiment -- the Royal
Gurkha Rifles -- and their numbers are to be cut from about 6,500 to
2,500 by 1997.
Nepal earns some 30 million dollars a year from pensions, salaries
and gratuities earned by the Gurkhas, as well as from welfare projects
initiated by the brigade itself.
Kathmandu has said that while it understands the need for the cuts,
it does not want to see this money reduced.
This means London must find other ways to provide the money,
shifting the responsibility from the ministry of defence to other
ministries, a move which is unlikely to be popular with the ministries
involved, an analyst said.
Nepal has also asked that Britain hand over equipment used by the
Gurkhas in Hong Kong which will no longer be needed because of the
cuts, a Nepal Foreign Ministry source said. London has said it will
consider the request.
Also of concern to the politicians is public sentiment in Britain
which is still very much in favour of keeping "Johnny Gurkha" --
sentiment fuelled by the many soldiers who served with or alongside
the Gurkhas and who now hold top civilian or army jobs.
But at a time when the British army is facing tough manpower cuts,
there are those who feel it should be the Gurkhas who should go in any
further reductions, rather than British troops.
"Why should British troops be put on the dole (unemployed) when the
government is keeping on what are essentially foreign troops," said
one senior officer.
Supporters argue the Nepalese soldiers represent good value for
money as well as providing the army with a pool of highly motivated
recruits.
"British regiments are having a hard time recruiting enough
people. The Gurkhas do not have this problem. In fact we can pick and
choose and this is a position which will continue," said a British
Gurkha officer.
"The recruitment arguement doesn't hold water," countered an
officer. "While some regiments are having problems, many others are
not."
But there remains the question of what role the Gurkhas will play
in the future.
"When India became independent (in 1947) the Gurkha regiments then
serving in the Indian army were divided between Britain and India
under an agreeemnt with India, Britain and Nepal, " said a senior
officer.
"The (British) army kept the Gurkhas because it needed troops for
Britain's commitments in the Far East and they certainly proved their
worth.
"But now that that committment no longer really exists, there is a
question about what they can do given the restrictions placed on their
use by the Tripartite Agreement," he added.
Under the agreement the Gurkhas cannot serve in Northern Ireland,
in Germany, or in United Nations peacekeeping roles.
"Given these restrictions why not keep on British troops who can
serve anywhere without the need to go through a diplomatic tap dance?"
a British officer said.
When they leave Hong Kong the Gurkhas will be based at Church
Crookham in England where they will form part of 5 Airborne Brigade, a
rapid deployment force. One of their three battalions will be
stationed in Brunei, paid for by the sultanate, their duty being done
on rotation.
"In some respects the Gurkhas are victims of their own success. By
doing so well against communist insurgents in the jungle, they have
won a reputation as superlative jungle fighters, but unfortunately the
army doesn't need jungle warfare experts anymore," said an officer.
"What the Gurkhas must do, and soon, is define a new role for
themselves. Given their history and professionalism, I have no doubt
they will be able to in time, but time may not be on their side," he
said.
HEADLINE: two more dead due to police firing in nepal
two of the five people who were seriously wounded in police firing
on thursday and were sent here from dang district for medical
treatment have died in the hospital, one on saturday evening, the
other this morning. so far, four people have died in the current
mid-term poll campaigning, three of them being killed by police
firing. a serious conflict took place on thursday in dang district in
mid-western nepal between supporters of the nepali congress (nc) and
the communist party of nepal (uml). later on, the uml supporters also
clashed with police who opened fire in order to control the order,
killing one on the spot and wounding 10 others. five of the wounded
including one former uml mp were in serious condition and sent to
kathmandu on friday for further treatment. the uml has sent a
petition to the government, demanding for the punishment of those who
were responsible for ordering to open fire. the uml also decided to
hold a mass gathering this morning and a funeral procession this
afternoon in protest against the killing.
*******************************************************************************
Date: Sun, 06 Nov 1994 11:48:25 EST
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@mp.cs.niu.edu>
From: "Pramod K. Mishra" <pkm@acpub.duke.edu>
Subject: English Lessons
Dear Editor,
Isn't it great that some of the readers are so kindly
concerned about my English--"poorly edited," "cluttered-up," and
all that? In fact, I have been thinking about writing myself for
a long time--ever since the day when a white-shirted,
stethoscoped quake, in his well-ironed pantaloons, looked up my
notebook and creased his nose as though the black-blue sentences
in Devnagari script stank like rotten flesh. "Why do you waste
your father's hard-earned money, Boy?" he said, his face as
solemn as a funeral procession. "You better help your father in
tilling his land." His son, seated on his bed beside mine on the
mud floor in that high school hostel, felt as proud as a son
could feel of his father's greatness. It was my crow-legged
handwriting that had provoked the priggish sneer of the
pretentious quake. Soon after, to my great relief, I discovered
that Gandhi and Tolstoy had probably the worst handwriting one
could ever come across. But I was neither Gandhi nor Tolstoy; nor
had I hoped to be. So I religiously practiced handwriting off
and on in a four-line practice book until I became a college
teacher (and, by the way, I did help my family in the field,
too).
And now some learned readers rightly point out how bad is my
English--"poorly edited," "cluttered-up," and all that. I'm
concerned about it myself; in fact, no less, after teaching
English writing for years both in Nepal and the USA. The first
time I sent something to TND, I was horrified to read the
violence I had committed on the English language, the King's
English! (You better maintain protocol when dealing with
royalty, I told myself). The sheer immediacy of cyber space,
however, made this admonition useless, and by and by violence
became my habit. And now, learned readers, I celebrate it!
The first day of this semester, I told my wonder-struck
freshmen and freshwomen, "Damn rules of English! Forget about
grammar! Let fear about structure go to the gutter! Damn all
constraints that imprison you in protocols! Just write! Write,
write, write until you get tired and fall off your chair or bed
or whatever!" All through the semester, I inculcate the habit of
freewriting, focused freewriting, and loop writing as the first
stage of any writing. Many among us who write know this secret
already, but some who are either Shakespeares (it is said that
Shakespeare never erased anything he wrote!), editing their
English in their brains, or stuffy hecklers, who are too scared
to write anything for fear of violating their sacred King's
English, grow squeamish to witness the utter excitement of
violence committed on their genteel sense of propriety.
But where does this sense of sanctimoniousness about
language come from? I ask myself. Those of us who have known our
teachers of Nepali and Sanskrit know pretty well how obsessed
they can be about spelling and rules of grammar. Teaching how to spell
words and memorize rules of grammar becomes the be-all and end-all of their
education. Thought-content goes down the drain in this priggish,
purist mania that is the legacy of rote learning of Sanskrit
forms and formulas and British colonialism. You study Sanskrit
for ten years and still remain lost in the world of translation,
derivatives, roots, forms, and cases--hardly able to write a
thoughtful essay or speak the language.
But that was not the case once upon a time (lapsing in
nostalgia here!). That's why, we find the difference in
pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary between Vedic Sanskrit and
classical Sanskrit. The language was living and it developed.
Since classical Sanskrit, however, which came into existence
long, long time ago after the Vedas (let's not get into fixing
the dates here), the pundits maintained only the protocols--
memorizing the rules, discovering the formulas of precision,
thinking and writing only what the tradition prescribed and the
protocol demanded. Conservation of and nit-picking about rules
became the life's motto of the pedants. This urgency to conserve
arose from fear--fear from impurity, pollution, and contamination
from women, from alien peoples, and from the populace, the
Shudras. In most Sanskrit plays, kings and nobles speak
classical Sanskrit, whereas women and servants speak Prakrit.
But Sanskrit is dead, whereas Prakrit lives in myriad living
forms in Nepali, Hindi, Bengali, and many other languages of
north India and Nepal which descended from it like an unstoppable
monsoon flood. But the purity lay in Sanskrit; Prakrit was only
a deviation, a corruption, a result of tongue contamination.
So only when you mastered the protocol could you speak or
write like a gentleman, Bhadra bhaladmi. How dare you speak with
your blunt tongue or write with half-calloused fingers? And by
the time your tongue memorized the formulas and fingers formed
callouses, you began to rote like a parrot, forgot to curse out
fresh thoughts and shout originality. You learned only to
squeeze a sheepish smile in obeisance. Unfortunately, this
tradition still continues in much of what makes education in
India and Nepal. And we are its noble products.
This habit of learning the skills to serve the masters has
been further instilled and fortified by the colonial English
public school system, the missionary schools, and the overall
legacy of the British Raj, which Nepal inherited in its third
degree. Rules are learned there only to fit like a clog in the
machine in order to help it run smoothly, but never to change it,
break it apart and make a new machine, a new system.
But in TND we live in cyberculture, graze in cyber pasture,
where thoughts are important, whether they are "cluttered-up" or
"poorly edited." So don't be deterred by these prudish warnings,
folks! Express your thoughts first, then think in leisure, if
you want, about protocols, for other occasions and other
opportunities. Let's forget about the prudes and the purists and
express our thoughts! Long live ground-breaking thoughts and to
hell with prudery and purism! Let's join the band of the
marauders of King's English and fly on the cyber horse to
distant, lush lands of cyber thoughts! And I'm sure there'll be
an august company waiting to take us in their fold.
*******************************************************************
From: Sirdar_RJS_Khalifa <a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: 1 Nov 1993
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Caught Between Cultures
Here are the next series of articles under the topic. Reminders are
once again posted:
Caught Between Cultures: A True Story
-------------------------------------
If you would like to share how your views have affected your life,
how it has changed you, personal choices you may have had to make,
some bitter and some not so bitter experiences, personal values,
your solutions to some of the concerns, your compromises and all,
please send it under the above topic.
For the sake of privacy, contributors have a choice to identify
themselves, or use a fictitous name or use third pronoun as long
as the stories are NOT fabricated.
Looking for TRUE STORIES of a Nepali's life being affected
due to western influences - for the good or the bad (only you
are the judge, jury and the client).
I believe your experiences could be a valuable lessons for us to share!
Following rules are to be implemented under this thread:
1. This is just a vehicle to let some of the cross-cultural
beliefs out.
2. This is not a discussion for East Vs. West.
3. Please refrain from judging other people. Stick to your experiences.
Feel free to comment on others' experiences as long as you can
refrain from judgment (I know its hard ..... your comments will
be dropped if it insults others).
4. Feel free to voice your oppinion if you think a particular rationale
holds true or works for you.
5. Please remember that a lot of personal issues are going to be
expressed. BE POLITE and most importantly, let us hope that we can
learn something and cope with our own "Caught Between Cultures"
issues.
-Sirdar_RJS_Khalifa
---------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 07 Nov 1994 10:30:41 -0500 (CDT)
From: RKP6723@UTARLG.UTA.EDU
Subject: Continuation of Caught Between Cultures
To: Nepal@cs.niu.edu
As I mentioned on Nov. 2nd TND that I was heavily influenced by American
Culture when I was in highschool in Chicago. I tried hard to fit in the
culture. In Fall of 1987 I went to Norhtern Illinois University at DeKalb, IL.
I met two other Nepali students there, Rajpal Singh and Dharma Thapa. There was also a Nepali family, Shakti Aryal, wife Usha Aryal, daughters Smita, Prashanti,sons Ashish and Anuj. They were nice family. I respected them that they love
Nepalis and they were nice hardwoking people. The kids were grown up in the
States. At that time they were in highschool and junior highschool. Surrounded
by these nice Nepali students and family I had a chance to restore my Nepali
beliefs. But at times the influence of American culture wouldn't go away. I
was a homophobic. Although, in Nepal friends can touch each other in innocent
sporty way, I was offensive of that same touch and say stuff like "Why physical
touch". Stay way from me man! and so forth.
Since I came from the broken family, I always wanted to fit in somewhere, and
American culture seemed like a logical thing to do at the time. I knew the
saying in Rome do what the Romans do. Frat parties, parties in general, hopping
bars, going for concert, wearing hip clothes, seeing art museum, and more were
the college past times. Also, the big goal was to get American babes. That is why majority of students come to college to find opposite sex partner. I knew
my goal to get education, but be able to fit in was also important. I am sure
some of you had the same experience. It gets lonely here in the foreign land.
It's even lonlier when you come here when you are a teenager because the
teenager is really caught between cultures. He has been in one culture, but
not long enough to develope philosophy from the previous culture, and has not
been in new society to know what is up. I tell you that was a lonely journey.
I was working as a Customer Service Manager at Wal-Mart and I got to know and
date girls. That time my brother Apil and sister Reena were staying with me.
My brother was in elementary school and my sister working. They had moved from Chicago in 1988. Then they again moved to Texas with my dad in early 1989.
Febraury 1989 I quit Wal-Mart to concentrate on my studies. Another student
from Nepal had come to NIU, Sunil Shah, he roomed with me at Varsity Apartment.
Dharma Thapa had left for SIU. I threw a party at my apartment for Sunil to
get his feet wet with American People. That party I met Melisa. we began to dateand became a couple. She was a good American woman, and that is rare in AamericaIt is another story while I was with her. I am supposed to be all happy that I
found me a steady girlfriend. I was happy for awhile, but then I was not happy
after some time. Then I began to question my identity, who I am, what I really
want and so forth. came to a conclusion that I was just a superficial person.
I became more interested in Nepal, soul, philosophy, etc. genuinely. I realize
I was not genuine person. Whatever I had done so far was unwise. I could not
have comr to know myself without Melisa. Well, I went out with her for four
years, we broke once in between. I had graduated from NIU in December 1992.
I was looking for a job, and i was having a hard time. After some struggle, I
decided to go to graduate school in computer science. I did not get in at NIU
because it was a completely new major for me. I chose to go to Texas at UT Tylerwhere they didn't care about not having a Bachelor's degree in a computer science. To be continued...
Robin Pandey
Arlington, TX
**********************************************************************
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 20:04:52 -0500 (EST)
From: Ashutosh Tiwari <tiwari@husc.harvard.edu>
Subject: Humor: TND Top Ten List
To: Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
TND Top-Ten List
(an occasional series containing humor, satire and all that stuff)
I have noticed that many TND pieces have become very, very SERIOUS,
and at times quite pedantic. On one hand, it's really great that members
are coming forward with their ideas and disagreements on various issues.
But on the other hand, I bemoan the loss of the "fun element" that had so
enlivened some of last year's issues. If reading TND isn't fun, then surely
there goes the vitality of the newsletter? [Of course, one person's fun might
be another's misery!]
To be sure, contributors like Shailesh Bhandari and Robin Pandey do
come up with amusing stuff once in while, but their pieces get easily
swamped by jumbo-size deep-thoughts on mega-issues from other TND
heavy-weights. Oh, hark! hark!! Ke garne?
Yes, no matter how much or how weakly one complains, TND -- as Rajpal
never tires of reminding us -- IS fully committed to provide a platform to
ALL members to voice their opinions, no matter how boring, ridiculous or
brilliant their pieces might be.
So, here's my own solution: I am ready to start a TND
top ten-list, a la David Letterman. [Note to non-America residing members:
Letterman a popular late-night TV talk-show host, who starts his every
show by an amusing Top Ten List].
As time goes by, ALL of you are also more than welcome to jump in
with your own top-ten list on various topics. The list may draw on stuff
from Nepal or from your own life and surroundings. As long as the humor
is not too esoteric or obscure, it should be fine.
Whatever the list is about, the idea is to be succinctly irreverent,
satirical, funny, pun-ny, witty and, yes, have fun and make TND a little more
lively. [Aside: those of you who love reading SPY magazine or watching Woody
Allen or John Clees movies, or seeing Madan Bansha, Hari Krishna and Santosh
Panth's sitcoms should especially provide a steady dose of humor.)
Well, since I have cooked this whole thing up, let me sort of bell
the cat with the following list. [Of course, I might run out of ideas after
two issues, and that would be pathetic. So, please, do help me out]. Well, I
might as well start by making fun of TND . . . :-}
Top Ten Reasons
to read TND religiously
10. So that you can procrastinate on your [school] work.
09. This way, you don't have to keep on checking your computer every
two hours to see whether you've received any e-mail.
08. So that you can criticize, laugh at or [learn from] its contents.
07. Just to see what Amulya Tuladhar has written this time.
06. To get over the pains of your break-up with that Nepali woman/man
05. Because you have no social life, and there's nothing to do.
04. A perfect way to exercise your eye-muscles and fingers.
03. So that you can re-claim your love/hate for Nepal
02. To impress your parents back home by telling THEM the latest news
about Nepal that they themselves do not know about: You can
cooly say, "Oh, you don't know that? I read it on the
computer!" Of course, they'll have no idea what you are talking
about.
01. Because this is the closest you can get to Nepal without paying
a penny!
p.s. madan bansha and hari krishna was an intentional mistake :-)
Comments, criticisms, parodies etc etc etc all are welcome. Send them all
to TND.
namaste
ashu
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 07 Nov 1994 11:54:16 -0500 (EST)
From: rpanth@uceng.uc.EDU (Ranjan Panth)
Subject: Admission into Pashupati
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Dear Editor,
People have said that non-Hindus should be allowed entrance into
Pashupati. Pashupati is a sacred place for Hindus to worship. It is not a
tourist attraction. Since non-Hindus will never enter the premises with
the intention of praying, they have no business being there.
If anyone were to argue that Pashupati is more of a tourist
attraction than a sacred Hindu temple, well, then that's another
debate.
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 11:12:07 -0600 (CST)
From: SUDEEP ACHARYA <sa01@engr16.engr.uark.edu>
Subject: I need a ticket
To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
Can anybody let me know the travel agency that sells airplane ticket to
Nepal pretty cheap. The cheapest I got was $1600.
Will appriciate your help
Sudeep Acharya
sa01@engr.uark.edu
501-582-4879
********************************************************************
Date: Thu, 03 Nov 1994 09:42:31 EST
To: a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu
From: "Bishwa Acharya" <ACHARYA@IGS.CVIOG.UGA.EDU>
Nepal: In a Political and Economic Cross Road
By: Bishwa Acharya, PhD, CP*
The second democratically elected prime-minister of Nepal, Mr. G. P. Koirala, w
ho survived for
about three years, was forced to resign after loosing majority in the house whe
n his own party
members abstained from voting. (The late B. P Koirala, older brother of G. P.
Koirala was the
first elected Prime-minister of Nepal. B.P.'s government was sacked undemocrat
ically by then
king Mahendra in 2017 B.S. after 18 months of tenure. The Nepali Congress part
y at that time
had more than two third majority in the house of representatives). Mr. Koirala
, not only resigned
from the premiership, but also succeeded in convincing the king that his resign
ation left the
parliament without any party with a clear majority to form a new government. T
he king
accordingly accepted his resignation, dissolved the house of representatives, a
nd called a fresh
election, and appointed him as a caretaker prime minister until the election of
a new house
scheduled for November 13, 1994 (rescheduled for Nov. 15). All major political
parties were
very reluctant to go for a early election. They, challenging the constitutiona
lity of the PM's
recommendation, knocked the doors of the supreme court to revert the decision.
The supreme
court cleared the way for the elections deciding with a seven-to-four majority
that the PM
Koirala's recommendation was constitutional. Left without any alternatives, al
l political parties
are now in full swing seeking a fresh mandate.
Political opportunists might have been rhapsodizing for a split of the NC party
. The NC leaders,
however, made a very matured, wise, and timely decision in settling their diffe
rences and saved
the party and the nation from a politically unstable situation. Mr. G. M. Sing
h's decision to
resign from the NC party left many NC workers and public sad and confused. Mr.
Singh has
devoted his entire life in establishing and restoring democracy in Nepal. Uneq
uivocally, the
World Community has acknowledged his wise leadership under which the democracy
was
restored in Nepal in 1990. Now, his desire to rise above party politics, to ac
t as a unbiased
guardian of the young democracy, and to act as a spokes person for all Nepali p
eople sounds a
noble job for his personality. More than that, if Mr. Singh is able to bring t
he United Marxist
and Leninist (UML) and the left wing of NC together and help to form a new part
y and provide
his able leadership in creating a two party political system (a stable governme
nt with a competent
and responsible opposition) which will strengthen democracy and help in fosteri
ng economic
development through proper utilization of natural resources.
Political stability without economic growth may not be sustained for long. Eco
nomic acceleration
and progress is possible only with active involvement of private sector. There
fore, the next
imminent job in strengthening democracy in Nepal is to provide incentive to pri
vate sector
through encouraging privatization and economic liberalization. Despite the gov
ernment's so
called lethargic bureaucracy and political disturbances, the economy of Nepal g
rew far better in
the last three years than the years prior to 1990. This itself is an example o
f the importance of
need for rapid improvements in the growth of private sector. It is apparent th
at the private sector
needs more incentives, capital investments, more liberal rules and regulations
for a rapid
economic growth. It is also true for any country, only the success of the priv
ate sector within
the country can allure outside investors.
The neighboring countries China and India are astounding the world in terms of
economic
growth. In the next ten years or so, communist China may turn out to be one of
the largest
capitalist countries of the world. Moreover, both India and China are in short
supply of energy
demands. Since India liberalized its economic policy, its energy demand is ris
ing exponentially.
India is targeting to produce about 32,000 megawatts of energy in the next 5 to
10 years.
Furthermore, search for a better source of energy is continuing. If an environ
mentally safe and
economically sound alternative is found, hydro-electricity might no longer rema
in as attractive
and feasible source of energy as it is now. For example, solar photovoltaic en
ergy might become
a possible alternative. Therefore, if Nepal wishes to use hydroelectricity as
an important
economic resource, it should be exploited before such an alternative is found.
It is possible only
if Nepalese politicians think politically and act economically (i.e., if they c
an behave rationally
in making policy decision on proper utilization of natural resources). For exa
mple, if Nepal
produces one fourth of her total potential hydropower, i.e., 20,000 megawatts o
f electricity, it can
generate revenue up to US $ 5 billion per year with nominal selling price of $0
.03 per unit.
Nepal's imminent market is India, and if Nepal can not negotiate with India in
selling her
hydroelectricity, she may miss the window of opportunity forever. Also, Nepal
can use
hydroelectricity as a bargaining chip in obtaining her transit rights to the In
dian ocean, which is
vital for Nepal's prosperity. Hydropower development will not only generate re
venues but it will
create jobs to thousands, and build infrastructures for other industries includ
ing tourism. Within
the next five years, if Nepal does not move fast in terms of economic strategic
planning and
business development she may remain an economic colony of her neighbors forever
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