Received: from mp.cs.niu.edu (mp.cs.niu.edu [131.156.1.2]) by library.wustl.edu (8.6.9/8.6.9) with SMTP id MAA16735 for <huestis@library.wustl.edu>; Thu, 17 Nov 1994 12:57:30 -0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA04607 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-dist); Thu, 17 Nov 1994 09:23:14 -0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA04603 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-list); Thu, 17 Nov 1994 09:23:12 -0600 Date: Thu, 17 Nov 1994 09:23:12 -0600 Message-Id: <199411171523.AA04603@mp.cs.niu.edu> Reply-To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> From: The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu> Sender: "Rajpal J. Singh" <A10RJS1@cs.niu.edu> Subject: The Nepal Digest - Nov 18, 1994 (2 Manghir 2051 BkSm) To: <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> Content-Type: text Content-Length: 59128 Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 55
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The Nepal Digest Thursday 18 Nov 94: Mangshir 2 2051 BkSm Volume 33 Issue 11
Today's Topics are:
Election Crunch Time - Apologoies for no topic headers.
*****************************************************************************
* 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 *
* *
* Subscription/Deletion requests : NEPAL-REQUEST@MP.CS.NIU.EDU *
* Provide one line message: sub nepal "lastname, firstname, mi" <user@host> *
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* TND database to: <A10RJS1@MP.CS.NIU.EDU> *
* Snail-Mail Correspondences to: Rajpal J. Singh *
* Founding-editor/Co-ordinator *
* The Nepal Digest (TND) *
* 502 West Lincoln Highway *
* DeKalb, Illinois 60115, U.S.A. *
* Digest Contributions: NEPAL@MP.CS.NIU.EDU *
* Contributors need to supply Header for the article, email, and full name. *
* *
* Postings are divided into following categories that are listed in the *
* order below. Please provide category-type in the header of your e-mail. *
* *
* 1. Message from TND Editorial Board *
* 2. Letter to the Editor *
* 3. TAJA_KHABAR: Current News *
* 4. KATHA_KABITA: Literature *
* 5. KURA_KANI: Economics *
* Agriculture *
* Forestry *
* Health *
* Education *
* Technology *
* Social Issues *
* Cultural Issues *
* Environment *
* Tourism *
* Foreign Policy *
* History *
* Military/Police *
* Politics *
* 6. Entertainment (Humor, Recipies, Movie Reviews, Sattaires etc.) *
* 7. JAN_KARI: Classifieds *
* 8. Immigration/Taxes *
* 9. TITAR_BITAR: Miscellaneous *
* *
* The Nepal Digest(TND) is a publication of the Nepal Interest Group for *
* news and discussions about issues concerning Nepal. All members of *
* nepal@cs.niu.edu will get a copy of TND. Membership is open to all. *
* THE EDITOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ARTICLES FOR CLARITY. *
* *
* **** COPYRIGHT NOTE **** *
* The news/article posters are responsible for any copyright violations. *
* TND, a non-profit electronic journal, will publish articles that has *
* been published in other electronic or paper journal with proper credit *
* to the original media. *
* *
* +++++ 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 *
* *
*****************************************************************************
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Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 12:17:01 -0600 (CST)
From: SUDEEP ACHARYA <sa01@engr26.engr.uark.edu>
Subject: Nepali Association in LA?
To: The Editor <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Rajesh B. Shrestha's request is:
Does anybody know if there is a Nepali Association in LA. or around LA?
Please send clues or telephone numbers.
***************************************************************
From: Shailesh R. Bhandari <sbhandar@garnet.acns.fsu.edu>
Subject: Choto Kabita
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 13:47:23 -0500 (EST)
MAYA
Eklai basi timro samjhana gardaa
Timi sanggai bole jasto lagchha
Malai dekhera jaba timi lajaaoochhou
Timilai
Merai maya le pole jasto lagchha.
AHAMTAA
Timro roopko bayan garne kram ma
Yo pani vannu parchha ki
Youvan basnu parne ti timra ooth ma,
Ahamta ko poko baseko chha
Tyahi ahamta ko poko sangga,
Mero maya faseko chha.
**************************************************************
ate: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 14:55:29 -0500 (EST)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: I wanted to forward this statement thinking it is of interestregarding
From: Subhabrata Sarkar <SARKAR_CON@DAFFY.MILLERSV.EDU>
TITLE=NEPAL/ELECTION CURTAIN-RAISER
BYLINE=MICHAEL DRUDGE
DATELINE=KATHMANDU, NEPAL
INTRO: NEPAL VOTES TOMORROW (TUESDAY) FOR A NEW PARLIAMENT.
CORRESPONDENT MICHAEL DRUDGE REPORTS FROM KATHMANDU THE CONTEST
PITS A BADLY-DIVIDED RULING CONGRESS PARTY AGAINST THE
COMMUNISTS, THE BIGGEST OPPOSITION FORCE.
TEXT: TUESDAY'S ELECTIONS FOR A NEW PARLIAMENT IN NEPAL WILL
TEST A FRAGILE EXPERIMENT WITH DEMOCRACY IN THE POVERTY-STRICKEN
HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN NATION, THE WORLD'S ONLY HINDU KINGDOM.
NEPAL IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN INDIA AND TIBET. IT RANKS AS ONE OF
THE WORLD'S 10 POOREST COUNTRIES. PER-CAPITA INCOME IS ABOUT
180-DOLLARS A YEAR. MORE THAN 60-PERCENT OF NEPALIS ARE
ILLITERATE AND MOST PEOPLE LIVE IN REMOTE VILLAGES.
NEPAL HAS ABOUT 19-MILLION RESIDENTS AND ABOUT 12-MILLION ARE
ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. MORE THAN 14-HUNDRED CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING
FOR 205 SEATS IN THE PARLIAMENT, WHICH WAS CREATED ONLY AFTER A
BLOODY PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT IN 1990.
TWENTY-FOUR PARTIES AND SCORES OF INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES ARE
CONTESTING THE ELECTIONS. BUT THE REAL RACE IS BETWEEN THE
RULING NEPAL CONGRESS PARTY AND THE COMMUNISTS.
THE CONGRESS PARTY WON THE 1991 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, BUT IT
HAS BEEN BADLY DIVIDED EVER SINCE. PARTY DISSIDENTS ACCUSE AGING
PRIME MINISTER G-P KOIRALA OF CORRUPTION AND SABOTAGE AGAINST HIS
POLITICAL RIVALS.
MR. KOIRALA CALLED THE ELECTIONS WHEN 36 PARTY DISSIDENTS REFUSED
TO SUPPORT HIM IN WHAT AMOUNTED TO A VOTE OF NO-CONFIDENCE IN
JULY. IN HIS CAMPAIGN, MR. KOIRALA PROMISES STABILITY, DEMOCRACY
AND DEVELOPMENT -- SAYING THE COMMUNISTS WOULD THREATEN THE
COUNTRY.
THE COMMUNIST LEADER, MAN MOHAN ADHIKARI, CLAIMS HIS PARTY NOW
ADVOCATES SOCIAL DEMOCRACY. HE PREDICTS VICTORY, BUT IS WORRIED
THE CONGRESS PARTY WILL RESORT TO FRAUD. HE SAYS IF THERE IS
SUSPICION OF VOTE-RIGGING, HIS SUPPORTERS WILL REVOLT.
THE COMMUNISTS ARE POWERFUL IN THE KATHMANDU VALLEY, NEPAL'S MAIN
URBAN CENTER. BUT, THE CONGRESS PARTY HAS GAINED STRENGTH IN THE
COUNTRYSIDE.
POLITICAL OBSERVERS SAY NEITHER MAJOR PARTY MAY WIN AN OUTRIGHT
MAJORITY. BUT CONGRESS WILL PROBABLY COME THE CLOSEST, AND IT
COULD TRY TO FORM A COALITION WITH THE OLD-LINE MONARCHIST PARTY.
THE ELECTIONS WILL TEST THE COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY IN NEPAL,
WHERE KING BIRENDRA ONLY GAVE UP ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY IN 1990 AFTER
PROTESTS THAT KILLED SCORES OF DEMONSTRATORS.
OBSERVERS SAY THREE-YEARS OF POLITICAL IN-FIGHTING AND POWER
STRUGGLES HAVE FUELED DISENCHANTMENT AND FRUSTRATION WITH
POLITICS. ONE WESTERN DIPLOMAT REMARKED THERE IS -- AS HE PUT IT
-- "A CLOUD HANGING OVER DEMOCRACY IN NEPAL." (SIGNED).
NEB/MWD/RAE
14-Nov-94 7:14 AM EST (1214 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
%%%%%Editor's Note: Please use lower case. In the "netiquette" sense %%%%%
%%%%% your are "barking" at us. Thank you for the post.%%%%%
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Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 16:25:23 -0500
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Asian biking contacts
Message-ID: <rutman-0611941303340001@moses.mit.edu>
Howdy. I'm trying to find contacts for a bike tour.
If anyone has any suggestions on other forums that may be
more appropriate, please let me know.
Thanks for your help.
Five friends and I are planning a monster biking trip through
Asia beginning May '95. Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Mongolia -
7000 miles, 130 days. None of us speak Russian, Chinese, etc,
and so we were hoping to get a "native" guide to translate
and help us get around. The plan is that a Russian would
ride with us from Istanbul to Katmandu, where a Chinese-speaking
rider would take over for the remainder. We would provide most
gear and whatever else was needed, keeping in mind that we want
an adventurous cycler type, not a professional tour guide.
So, the point is, I was wondering if anyone could give me any
leads as to where I might find such a person: a Chinese biking
club phone number, or a cyclist you know from one of these
countries who might have contacts back there...
And of course, any advice is appreciated. Thanks for your help.
Nathaniel Rutman
please e-mail reponses to rutman@mit.edu
617 225-9143
I used to drive a Heisenberg Uncertainty car, but I could never
look at the speedometer without getting lost.
**********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 02:24:30 PST
To: nepal-request@cs.niu.edu
From: kshah@makalu.Stanford.EDU (Kishan B. Shah)
Subject: request for subscription
Dear TND staff members,
many thanks to all of you for managing the TND.
special thanks to Rajpal J. Singh who brought it in to existence.
could you please add a friend to the TND subscription list?
ek.mxm@forsythe.stanford.edu
thanks again.
sincerely,
k shah
**********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 00:48:28 EST
To: a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu
From: CrisCarusi@aol.com
Subject: TND database info
Hi,
I'd like to be included in the TND database, if possible. Here's some
biographical information about myself:
Name: Cris Carusi
Address: RR 2, Box 117, Hartington, NE 68739
I lived in Nepal for three years (1989-1992), while serving in the Peace
Corps. I worked for the ADB/N in the Mahakali zone (posted in Patan,
Baitadi), for most of that time. I also spent some time working in Surkhet,
Dailekh, and Jumla. I am currently the director of a nonprofit organization
in Nebraska (the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society). I am new to
Nebraska, and would like to meet any Nepalis living here.
Thank you,
Cris
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 20:40:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Nirmal Ghimirez <NGH42799Q236@DAFFY.MILLERSV.EDU>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: temple to all
This is in response to Mr.Bhusan's statement.He has said that why
should we let the non-hindus in the Pashupati? And he also has justified
his point by saying that what Christians or Muslims do.The point of
emphasis is not what others do,but what our judegement is.We need not
compare in everything and religion and belief is much above than comparision.
Why should we care what the rules of others are?But that does not mean that
we too should be limited.Thinking that opening Pashupati for non hindus
glorifies the principle of hinduism, I think it is a very positive step.
Not,only that many will have a chance to see the beauty of it.In Gita lord
Krishna has stated'"No matterwhat path you take it will lead to me."
I think God or incarnations always gave us a positive approach,they
tried to teach more on unification.But there always has been something
against it or someone and things have gone wrong.So, maybe sometimes back
someone made this rule that non -hindus must not enter and it just
carried on.So, let us try to analyze it with a open mind and big heart.This
is something to think about.Thanks.Nirmal
***********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 94 20:46:26 EST
From: "Scott Justice sejust00@ukcc.uky.edu" <SEJUST00@UKCC.uky.edu>
Subject: lookin for help
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Namaste Youall, First, Kudos for the editors of TND. I have really enjoyed it
thus far! Second, I am a anthropology grad student seeking information on
cooperatives in Nepal generally and the Terai specifically. Any help or advice
would be greatly appreciated. Let the battles rage.
Cheers, Scott
*********************************************************************
Date: 15 Nov 94 01:41:43 EST
From: Pawan.Adhikari@Dartmouth.EDU (Pawan Adhikari)
Subject: Budhanilkantha School
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
The status of Budhanilkantha School as a recipient of a heavy government
subsidy seems to have incited a flurry of comments on the recent issues of
The Nepal Digest. In my capacity as a recent graduate of BNKS, I would like
to clarify some issues which seem to be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
Budhanilkantha School was established as a model institution for the Nepali
secondary education system by the British in 1972. From the beginning, it
emphasized on selecting very able Nepali students from a wide range of socio
- economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and from all parts of the
country. By and large, this practice is still carried out and an estimated
sum of 2 lakhs is annually allotted to select a diverse and a qualified
student body. It was in this capacity that the school was officially
designated as the National School of Nepal.
The British initially had agreed for a ten year plan to run the school and
hand it over to the Nepali government after that. By 1982, however, since
many goals the British had envisioned for had not been accomplished, they
extended their term for another ten years. During this ten year period, many
new facilities were added. In 1983 - 84, the school was converted to English
medium, and later in the decade, the GCE O & A levels were added to the
curriculum. Contributions for these new programs mainly came from the ODA
sources. Since the Gurkha involvement in the Falklands War, during which a
prominent member from the Board of Governors lobbied with the ODA committee,
there was an increase in British spending, an increase that accounts for not
only the establishment of the O & A levels, but also for facilities like the
swimming pool, the Saraswati temple, and the science laboratories. However,
during the entire period, the British commitment was limited to building the
infrastructure, taking care of the payrolls of the British expatriates
teaching at the School, and funding a teacher exchange program. In 1992, the
British, notwithstanding their earlier commitment to pull out at the end of
that year, were crucial in recruiting the first batch of girls in what was to
be their last effort at diversification. A year after, in 1993, two girls
hostels were built (which, you may have known, was inaugurated by Lady Diana
Spencer.) Since the building of the hostels, the British involvement in the
school has been officially over. Only a few British teachers have decided to
remain since their absence will leave a void that the current Nepali
administration is not sufficiently prepared to fill. Now, for the first time
in its twenty two year history, BNKS has a Nepali headmaster.
The Nepali government has been committed mainly to running the school. Like
other government employees, the entire faculty members, administration
members, and the workforce is paid for by the Nepali government. The bulk of
the subsidy, however, goes to funding the educational costs of the
scholarship students who constitute a third of the total student population.
Due to the high residential costs, the cost of the scholarship package is
disproportionately high. In the fiscal year 1991 - 92, the Nepali government
spent a total of about Rs. 60 lakhs, out of the total of Rs. 160 lakhs
allotted for the secondary education in Nepal, on Budhanilkantha School
(These figures also include the payroll of the employees.) The remaining part
of the subsidy is spent on maintaining the science laboratories (8 lakhs) and
for recruiting new students (2 lakhs.) (Please note that all figures, which
are from the fiscal year 1991 - 92, have been approximated.)
Now that the school is effectively in the hands of the Nepali government,
there have been debates over its legitimacy as the National School, a status
which qualifies for its heavy subsidy. Since the school has been oriented
more towards British system of education, especially since the implementation
of the O & A Levels, the SLC performance in recent years has been weaker, and
thus disappointing. In addition, due to some unverified rumors, the school
has also been receiving bad press recently. In the light of these recent
negative impressions, the sentiments against BNKS have been running
especially high.
However, I feel that the diversity of the student body and the performance of
the students are some of the few points that should be taken into account in
evaluating the status of BNKS. It is one of the few schools that is not only
committed to a diverse student body and an equal opportunity, but is also
representative of Nepali students as a whole. So far, it not only has had a
notable academic and extra - curricular performance, but also a highly
motivated body of students. One of the many activities of the Social Service
Club of BNKS has been to run a nationwide scholarship program by finding
donations or sponsors on its own. For those living in the cities, it might be
easy to denounce BNKS as a prodigal establishment, but it carries strong
sentiments in many villages, where teachers and students alike eagerly look
forward to its recruitment seasons.
I do not intend to advocate support for BNKS. I personally feel that there
are inefficiencies with it, inefficiencies which could be addressed by some
financially feasible measures. It post - SLC programs can not only be
expanded or diversified, but also changed to fit in with the regional context
of Nepal, by basing it on the Indian style of post - secondary education for
example. But I find it hard to eschew suggestions of those ideogogues, who,
in the name of equity, would like to subject the school to free market.
Institutional values are not always a commodity to be traded in a free
market. One has to look at the condition of the English boarding schools in
Kathmandu before privatizing Budhanilkantha School. Reform is a better
alternative to free market.
**********************************************************************
Date: 15 Nov 94 15:01:17 EST
From: Rajendra.P.Shrestha@Dartmouth.EDU (Rajendra P. Shrestha)
Subject: Election News
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
HEADLINE: Nepal Voting Sees Rioting AP- Nepal -Elections
DATELINE: KATMANDU, Nepal
BODY:
Police fired shots to disperse rioters Tuesday in southern Nepal,
but elsewhere in this mountainous kingdom voters cast ballots without
incident to elect a new parliament.
The Nepali Congress won a majority in the 1991 elections. A
rebellion by 36 party lawmakers pulled down Prime Minister Girija
Prasad Koirala's government and forced elections 18 months ahead of
schedule.
Thousands of voters dressed in traditional clothes rang bells and
chanted prayers at Hindu temples in the capital before heading to the
polling stations. The sound of conch-shell horns, symbolizing an
auspicious beginning, reverberated across the valley.
More than 100 international observers from 29 countries, including
the United States and Japan, are monitoring the second elections in
the last three years.
After five deaths in pre-election violence, 100,000 security guards
were posted outside polling booths and houses across the kingdom to
prevent further violence.
Tensions between supporters of the governing Congress Party of
Nepal and the leftist parties led by Communists caused sporadic
unrest. Police wounded one person breaking up a disturbance in
Mahotari, 75 miles southeast of Katmandu, said Tek Bahadur Singh
Thapa, a top election official.
Two other incidents were reported in nearby villages.
The Katmandu valley is a stronghold of the communists who won seven
of the nine seats in 1991 elections. Overall, they won 83 seats in the
205-member Parliament.
Authorities ordered all vehicles off the roads for the day to
prevent political parties from transporting people to the polling
centers.
As in the past, Nepal's 1,000-mile-long border with India was
sealed for 24 hours. Campaigning by two Indian opposition politicians
in support of Nepali candidates drew strong protests from the
communists.
HEADLINE: Nepal election marked by scattered violence
BODY:
By Nelson Graves
KATHMANDU, Nov 15 (Reuter) - Nepal voted on Tuesday to choose a new
parliament amid scattered violence and anxieties that no clear
majority would emerge to guide the new Himalayan democracy out of
poverty.
Despite the deployment of over 100,000 members of the security
forces, at least 13 people were injured in clashes between supporters
of rival parties, police and local officials said.
Police fired in the air to disperse a violent crowd in the southern
district of Mahottari and authorities cancelled votes at 19 polling
stations due to clashes and irregularities, they told Reuters.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sri Kant Regmi said two supporters of
the communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) front were stabbed by
supporters of the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and
taken to hospital with serious injuries.
He said the violence broke out in Taplejung district, 200 km (125
miles) east of Kathmandu.
''There have been a few incidents,'' a spokesman for the National
Election Observation Committee (NEOC) told Reuters, saying police and
election officials had received beatings in one district. The
35,000-member army was put on alert.
The NEOC spokesman said most clashes were near the southern border
with India, and that elsewhere voting was largely without
incident. Turnout was relatively low, he said.
In the sun-drenched capital Kathmandu, there were no reports of
serious incidents as voters waited quietly in long queues to stamp
ballots marked only with party symbols including a tree, the sun, a
plough, a drum and a hammer and sickle.
More than 1,250 election observers, including 130 foreigners from
28 countries, were posted in 205 constituencies for the kingdom's
second general election since pro-democracy protests ended an absolute
monarchy in 1990.
The border with India was sealed off to prevent any tampering with
the polls, the Election Commission said.
Squeezed between the world's two most populous nations --India and
China -- Nepal is one of the 10 poorest nations with average annual
income of $180 a head.
The polls were not expected to deter Nepal from the neutral foreign
policy course it has long followed.
In 1991 the centrist Nepali Congress party won the country's first
free elections in 31 years after King Birendra was forced to
relinquish almost all of his power.
But factional infighting and corruption allegations plagued the
ruling party, forcing Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to call
parliamentary polls 18 months ahead of schedule.
At least six people were killed in the run-up to the
elections. Authorities banned all vehicles from the capital except
those of diplomats, journalists and election observers. Most shops
were shut and alcohol sales were banned for the day.
A total of 12.3 million people were eligible to vote. Even a rough
idea of the outcome was not expected before Friday.
Political observers and diplomats were split over whether the
Congress party, which held 114 of 205 seats in the outgoing
parliament, would overcome its wrangling to retain a majority.
The UML, which had controlled 81 seats, predicted voters fed up
with claims of Congress corruption would give it a majority.
UML's platform closely resembled that of Congress and UML leader
Man Mohan Adhikary vowed to defend multi-party democracy and
capitalism if thrust into power.
But a Western diplomat said it was unclear if party hard-liners
would follow Adhikary's moderate course.
HEADLINE: Security high as Nepal's second elections open
BYLINE: By Nelson Graves
BODY:
Nepal voted Tuesday to choose a new parliament amid tight security
and concerns that no clear-cut majority would emerge to guide the
picturesque Himalayan kingdom out of poverty.
An estimated 100,000 security personnel fanned out across the
nation to head off any violence in Nepal's second free elections since
a bloody pro-democracy revolt ended absolute monarchy in 1990.
The 35,000-man Nepalese army was on alert, and more than 1,000
election observers were posted in 205 constituencies spread from
southern plains to the world's highest peaks.
The border with India was sealed off to prevent any foreign
tampering with the polls, the Election Commission said.
Squeezed between the world's two most populous countries--India and
China- Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries, with average
annual income of $ 180 a person. Its small economy depends heavily on
foreign aid.
In 1991 the centrist Nepali Congress Party won the country's first
free elections in 31 years after King Birendra was forced to
relinquish absolute power.
But factional in-fighting and allegations of corruption plagued the
Congress Party, forcing Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to call
elections 18 months ahead of schedule.
At least six people were killed in the run-up to the polls. The
Kantipur newspaper reported Tuesday that more than 10 people were
injured in weekend clashes in the remote Tamghas district between
supporters of the centrist Congress Party and the Communist Unified
Marxist-Leninist Party.
Voters in the mountain ringed capital, Kathmandu, began lining up
two hours before the polls opened, with men and women waiting in
separate lines.
Authorities banned all vehicles from the capital's streets, except
for those of diplomats, journalists and election observers.
About 12.3 million people were eligible to vote for 1,057
candidates from 24 parties. Voting was set to end at 5 p.m. (7:15
a.m. EST), but an accurate picture of the results was not expected for
at least two days.
In several remote mountain regions, porters will take two to three
days to carry ballots to low-lying districts to be counted, an
Election Commission spokesman said.
There were concerns that no clear majority would emerge.
"Most pre-poll projections predict a hung parliament," the
respected weekly magazine Spotlight wrote.
HEADLINE: Nepali Communist leader is no enemy to capitalism
BYLINE: By Nelson Graves
BODY:
Nepal's Communist leader, scenting victory in general elections
this week, has promised that the Himalayan kingdom will remain
democratic, neutral and wide open to foreign investment if he becomes
prime minister.
Man Mohan Adhikary, chairman of the Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML)
party, told Reuters in an interview that as prime minister his
watchwords would be caution, non-alignment and -- in spite of his
party's name -- capitalism.
"There will be no dictatorial or high-handed methods," said the
72-year-old politician, seated cross-legged on a couch in his party's
humble headquarters with the Communist Party's familiar red flag and
hammer and sickle at his back.
Adhikary's party held 81 seats in the 205-member parliament which
was dissolved in July, making it the main opposition to the ruling
Nepali Congress party which had 114 deputies.
But political observers and diplomats in this landlocked nation
said there was a strong chance no single party would win a majority in
Tuesday's elections.
They said the constitutional monarch King Birendra could be forced
to call on Adhikary to try to form a government.
Adhikary spent 17 years in jail -- 15 in Nepal and two in India --
in the fight to end Nepal's absolute monarchy. Bloody street protests
led to the restoration of a multiparty democracy in 1990, ending a
30-year autocratic regime.
"I am confident that our party has every chance to win a
comfortable majority and be able to form a government," said Adhikary,
predicting the UML would take 115 to 120 seats.
Congress party leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai said voters could
not trust the Communists to defend democracy. "If they are put into
power through the ballot, that will be the end of the ballot,"
Bhattarai told Reuters.
Adhikary brushed aside the comment. "That's an old way of putting
things, propaganda to try to tarnish our image. We believe in
democratic practices," he said.
"Once in power we must be very, very vigilant that we do not repeat
the mistakes, the unpardonable political repression, sometimes
brutality that took place in the former Soviet Union and eastern
Europe," he said.
"Western donors need not have any apprehensions," he said, vowing
to make better use of the foreign aid which is a lifeline to Nepal's
economy, equal to 14 percent of total output.
Adhikary said under his leadership Nepal would pursue its
traditional foreign policy of neutrality and maintain good relations
with its populous neighbours -- China and India.
"We will not allow ideology to influence our foreign relations," he
said. "We know that without western technology, science, experience in
management and running a competitive, free-market economy, we cannot
survive in the world."
He denied a UML-led Nepal would swing towards Beijing and predicted
China would continue its hands-off policy. "There will be no special
favours for China," he said.
But he pledged to overhaul relations with India by demanding that
New Delhi end curbs on the flow of Nepali goods to other South Asian
nations and cut its trade surplus with Nepal.
"There is only one problem and that is India," he said. "They are
too big for us. Step by step we must make India realise they must be
considerate towards us."
Adhikary acknowledged that the Communist Party and the centrist
Congress were advocating similar programmes. UML's manifesto, for
example, says it would promote the private sector, foreign investment
and the "national bourgeoisie."
He said he favoured "modest" land reform including possibly
lowering a 16-hectare (39.5-acre) ceiling on landholdings.
He vowed to encourage joint ventures with foreign firms. "We will
open the economy to the world in a competitive manner," he said. "We
have to convince and earn the trust of investors that investment is
safe in Nepal and profitable."
HEADLINE: India bars activist from monitoring Nepali polls
DATELINE: KATHMANDU, Nov 14
BODY:
India has prevented a human rights activist from leaving for Nepal
to join an international commission monitoring general elections there
this week, poll observers said on Monday.
Ajit Singh Bains, a retired judge from the Indian state of Punjab,
was refused permission at the weekend to board a plane in New Delhi
for Nepal's capital Kathmandu, the National Election Observation
Committee (NEOC) said.
Bains, who heads Punjab's human rights commission, intended to join
1,025 Nepali and 106 foreign observers who will monitor polling
throughout the Himalayan nation on Tuesday.
A NEOC spokesman said Indian immigration authorities had said Bains
could not leave the country because his date of birth was incorrect on
departure papers, but the real motive appeared to be to keep him from
monitoring the polls.
"They gave a phony reason," the spokesman said.
British member of parliament David Young told Reuters that NEOC had
approved a resolution "expressing deep concern that Bains was refused
permission by Indian immigration authorities to leave India to join
the international observers."
Young, one of five foreign parliamentarians to monitor the
elections, said NEOC had sent a message to India's ambassador to Nepal
asking the Indian government to reconsider its decision and allow
Bains to attend the elections.
Some 100,000 police and security forces were set to fan out across
Nepal to prevent any violence during the polling, the country's second
general elections since a bloody pro-democracy rebellion ended
absolute monarchy in 1990.
Army troops were put on alert in case they were needed, the
Election Commission said.
*******************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 15:16:33 -0500 (EST)
From: Nirmal Ghimirez <NGH42799Q236@DAFFY.MILLERSV.EDU>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: amako samzhana
Hey nepal ama,
kati samjhanchu timilie,kati samjhanchu timilie
sunchu feri dukkha di ye rey timilie
ama ti biteka din samjher ansu bharincha anakhama
gaun,goath,pandhera,nadi, nala sabi nachdachan mero nayanama
ama,nepal ama, koti, koti,dandwat cha timilie
ama, ashirbad deu yo pardesieko choralie
bholiko bhavisya saparna ma yanha aayan
tar timro nayno ra pyaro kokhabat banchit bhayanya
ama,ayar yenha paraya ra afno bhanne bhinnata thahapyane
ama bhaneko ke ho bhanne badi gyan paen
ama, timrai nimti ayako hun ma yahaa
kehi sikhu bhaner ayako hun ma yahana
ama,ma afno karma chader aun sakdin
himmat deu yo parya angananma, hausala deu yo birano nagarma
ama,nepal ama, koti koti danwat cha timilie
Thinking that many of us sometimes do feel why we came here? Or we tryto
analyze why we come here? We often remeber back home.So, thinking this
is some positive step that we all are in,we all are in some process.
And knowing that we owe this to our mother land.I,here meaning all of
us are conversing with our mother,Nepal
Nirmal
************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 15:36:04 EST
From: tilak@UFCC.UFL.EDU
To: Nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Sanskrit
Dear Helen Abadzi Jee,
Please refer to your letter (TND Nov 10, and Nov 14, 1994). It is
a pleasure to be corrected by a Yawan Upadhyayas, a worthy descendant of
the great Kshatriya Sikandar, and Maharishis like Sukraat and Arastu. As
far as Sanskrit is concerned you have written succinctly what I might have
written poorly. Thanks and regards. Sincerely yours - Tilak B. Shrestha.
**********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 16:46:35 -0600 (CST)
From: SUDEEP ACHARYA <sa01@ineg2.engr.uark.edu>
Subject:
To: The Editor <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Punam Panta request's addresses of Reema Jossey- B.S. at Shorter College in
Georgia- and Gyanu Pandey(from Gyaneshwor, is on ME program in the US)
If you know them please reply to punam@sequent.com
Gyurme Sherpa request's addresses of Sachendra Gurung, Kul Bahadur Thapa,
Prajwol Basnet and Pawan Gurung (all from St. Xaviers, they were in
Boston) If you know where they are please reply to sherpagy@martin.luther.edu
Thank you
Sudeep Acharya
TND
************************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 18:35:50 -0500 (EST)
From: SUSHAN ACHARYA <sushan@titan.ucs.umass.edu>
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - Nov 14, 1994 (28 Kartik 2051 BkSm)
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
I would like to get the list of email addresses that the digest
circulated sometimes beginning of this year? Could anyone please do me a
favor and send it to me? I would really appreciate.
Sushan
%%%%%Editor's Note: In respect to members' request we no longer %%%%%
%%%%% post TND member list publicly. If you would %%%%%
%%%%% like to find your long lost friend or family %%%%%
%%%%% send your request to Sudeep Acharya at %%%%%
%%%%% sa01@ineg2.engr.uark.edu %%%%%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 19:04:28 -0500 (CDT)
From: 290406NR@GBVAXA.UWGB.EDU
Subject: Request!
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
This is for anybody who 'd be reading this.But I need a help on whatever way
if anyone can. Anyway, I'm doing a impact studies in environmental consequences
related to the geomorphology and its consequences in physical and biological
entity especially related to the ArunIII project. I shall amply appreciate the
help or the guideline on this regard.Thanks!
Naresh Rimal
3118 Walter Way
GB WI 54311
290406nr@gbvaxa.uwgb.edu
************************************************************************
Date: 15 Nov 94 22:21:26 EST
From: Rajendra.P.Shrestha@Dartmouth.EDU (Rajendra P. Shrestha)
Subject: Election update
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
HEADLINE: Low voter turn out marks Nepal's mid-term poll
DATELINE: Kathmandu, Nov 15
BODY:
A low turnout of voters marked the end of balloting in mid-term
polls for the 205 seats of Nepal's House of Representatives Tuesday.
When the polls closed at 1700 local time (1115 GMT) after nine
hours, it was estimated that only about 50 percent of the 12.2 million
eligible voters exercised their franchise.
A low turnout, compared with over 65 percent in the last general
election, was seen as unfavourable to the ruling Nepali Congress party
because only the leftist parties are known to have committed voters.
It was the second general election to be held since the
restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990.
A few disturbances were reported inlcuding booth capturing in at
least three constituencies of Dhanusha district southeast of
Kathmandu, bordering India.
According to the main rivals of the Nepali Congress, the United
Marxist-Leninists, police resorted to firing in the air to disperse
clashes in Dhanusha, Argaghachi in mid-west Nepal and in Biratnagar,
home town of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in eastern Nepal.
No injuries were reported.
The Kathmandu Valley which comprises the Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and
Lalitpur districts with 12 parliamentary contituencies, had registered
less than 50 percent votes by 1600 hours local time.
Many polling centres in the Nepalese capital had just a few voters
casting their ballots in contrast to the last general election when
people had to stand in long queues.
Repolling was expected to be ordered in a number of constituencies
where disturbances took place but an announcement from the election
commission was expected only later Tuesday.
Ballot boxes, sealed and under tight security, will be taken to
counting centres of each constituency where the slow process of
counting each ballot paper will begin after the arrival of all boxes.
In Kathmadu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur in the Kathmandu Valley,
counting was expected to begin from the early hours of Wednesday
morning.
According to the election commission, all results are expected to
be officially declared after six or seven days. dpa ba
*******************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 22:32:37 -0500
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: To Nepali s in San Fransisco Area
From: solosher@aol.com (SOLOSHER)
Dear netters,
I will be in San Fransisco for about a week attending The Cell Biology
Meeting where I will be give a poster presentation relating to my Thesis
work. I need a place close to downtown SF during that time. I would love
to stay longer and travel around..but it all depends on whether or not I
will be able to stay with somebody. Please let me know if you can help me
out. I need to know as soon as possible so that I can make airline
reservations at earliest date. My phone # is 215 387 6153 and my email add
is
karki_s@a1.mscf.upenn.edu
Dhanyabad and Namaste
Sher karki
University of Pennsylvania
********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 22:34:04 -0500
From: rshresth@black.clarku.edu (RaJesh B. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
From: jjj@mits.mdata.fi (Joni Jarvenkyla)
In article <Cyp6uy.ABA@uwindsor.ca>,
Bocska Steve <bocska@server.uwindsor.ca> wrote:
>How is Nepal handling tourism? I understand that they now get about
>3,000 trekkers a year, and that it is waaaaaay up from years ago. How is
>the economy, society and culture adapting to these changes? Is there is
>big threat from the 'western influence'?
Just go there, Steve. DO not try to remember the past...those times are
over. Kathmandu has been a hell for years ;-)
There are also fun sides to it: '92 we went to a nepalese hard rock
concert that was in the Hall of Kings, hundreds of wild local fans and
a band playing old metal pieces like Black Sabbath etc...the sound was
terrible, but the people enjoyed it so much that it was one of the best
concerts I've been to! They cheered louder than the band played ;-)
The Himalayas are great, but if you want to "get away from it all",
northern hemispheres like Finnish Lappland are more isolated than
almost any trekkable part of Nepal.
DMT Finland Oy tuoteluettelo: http://mits.mdata.fi/~jjj
Ja uusi puhelinnumero: (90) 458 40 20
************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 22:46:42 -0500
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: More on BKS from Ashu
From: atuladhar@vax.clarku.edu
Could you please post this on SCN at your convenience? Thank you.
SCN seems pretty dry these days!!
ashu
>Swarnim Wagle of London School of Economics writes:
>Just one relevant addition to my earlier posting. Gandaki Boarding School,
>a parochial equivalence of the more national Budhanilkantha is doing
>terribly well in Western Nepal and should be a perfect model to follow suit.
Where does the funding for GBS come from? What is their SLC pass rate? What
are their graduates doing? Without hard, measurable criteria we cannot say
such and such is "doing terribly well" -- no matter how admirable your
faith in that particular school might be!
>Ashu raised some points about BNKS graduates, many of which, I'm afraid were
>remotely true.
>ODA funded students (who are nearing extinction in England) do not have to
>go back to Budhanilkantha and teach.This was true for the first two batches
>and the condition has since then be relaxed. They do however need to go back
>to Nepal and this like any other bonds looks perfectly fine to me.
If so, I was not aware of it. Please forgive my ignorance.
>You mention that it's not desirable to have that 'obscure and impractical'
>influence of the secondary school syllabi of British Exam syndicates. Well, I
>dont know what a lucid and practical syllabi looks like but if you are
>referring to the Princeton tests as an example, Forgive me but I do have grave
>reservations.
Apples and oranges. ETS tests are NOT equivalents of O and A levels. Most
American high schools do NOT prepare their kids to DO BETTER or WORSE on
SAT, like Nepali schools preparing their 10th graders for SLC.
SAT is an APTITUDE test (though recently it has been modified somewhat),
meaning that it seeks to measure GENERAL verbal and math abilities; A and O
levels are subject-achievement tests in that in order to do well on those,
you need to have a good mastery of the materials on the syllabi.
When I said "obscure and impractical", I was seriously questioning THEIR
PRACTICAL RELEVANCE to Nepal, especially at a price that comes through the
generosity of foreign aid (over which we Nepali citizens have NO say
whatsoever!) and state subsidy (over which too we citizens have NO say!).
The BKS example clearly shows the dangers of MISPLACED and COSTLY ELITISM in
national planning for secondary school education in Nepal.
More to the point, my arguemnt is that foreign aid, which is really EVERY
CITIZEN's share, could better used MORE EFFECTIVELY to develop STRONG GENERAL
curricula that match Nepal's specific needs for a trained workforce.
Nepal's day-to-day needs are NOT served by TRANSPLANTING British courses
that only allow a dozen or so BKS graduates to go off to American or British
universities.
[Aside: In fact, I would even argue that even the
whole system of SLC is absolutely outdated and TOO EXPENSIVE for Nepal to
pay for every year. [Serious overhaul of the SLC is LONG OVERDUE,
though I lack the expertise to say exactly what; perhaps others can share
their opinions on this.]
>Now, the world knows it and the Britons concede that they are in deed a tiny
>nation with a lost empire and a declining economy, no longer THE major
>force in the global political mainstream but if there are two things that the
>British are still proud of, It's their education system and their sense of
>humour. (Note that if people in other countries don't like you they will call
>you names like stupid, foolish, dumb or whatever but in England they would
>say, "You have no sense of humour")
Have you watched the movie "A fish called wanda"?
>Ashu went on to note that professors from Oxbridge and LSE come to America in
>droves. As you wrote this just after mentioning the 'obscure' syllabi, would I
>be correct to assume that you mean they do so because of the quality of
>education back home? If yes, I beg to differ. The one and only reason, I'm
>afraid is money. An average salary of a new Professor here would be like
>40000 Pounds, roughly 65000 US while just for an example, a young and
>upcoming Harvard macroeconomist N.G. Mankiw was paid 80000 US in 1993 (Yes,
>s.b. looked up the files)
FYI, I asked Greg Mankiw whether his salary was $ 80,000 in 1993. He
laughed, and said that for Harvard economics professors, there are two
types of salaries: 'nominal salary' and 'real salary'.
In other words, his real salary is much higher than what you copied from
the book, and whatever that is, Mankiw is not telling. So that's that.
Second, Mankiw is not some "up and coming economist". He's a TENURED
professor, for God's sake, and
one of the scholars responsible for the revival and remodification of
[New] Keynesian macro. He is NOT some assistant professor still trying to
prove his worth. In other words, Mankiw is already UP THERE!!
More than the question of salary, however, British academics are coming to
American universities for ANOTHER reason: MORE and BETTER RESEARCH
OPPORTUNITIES. After all, face it, when it comes to path-breaking RESEARCH,
most American universities are way up than most of their counterparts in
England -- not because Americans are smarter than the English, but
because there are more money and better facilities available in America
to do research.
Now, if you had read your Thatcher-economics carefully, you would have known
how Maggie cut off funding for academics [and how they decided NOT to give
her an Oxford honorary degree and so forth]. More than the British
universities, American universities COLLECTIVELY have the money and the
resources to do the kind of research in science, humanities and social
sciences that extend the boundaries of knowledge. It is in this sphere
that COLLECTIVELY American universities have the definite edge over their
British counterparts.
In fact, if you think about it, for brilliant researchers,
what better place could there be than a major research university in America
to build their academic nests, without worrying too much about money?
[I'm simplyfying the case somewhat, but my point should be clear!]
If you are not convinced, go to your library and see the biblio on, for
example, economics. Count all the citations of INFLUENTIAL RESEARCH
articles in economics, and see how many of them, in the 1980s and 1990s,
came from Stanford, MIT, Pennsylvania, Berkeley, Columbia, Princeton, Harvard,
Chicago, Yale, Minnesota and many others, how many came from Oxbridge, LSE
and other British universities. That should be a revealation for you.
By this I am not saying that American universities are BETTER per se; but
that since they can afford to do MORE research, they can also afford to
attract talents from all over the world, including England. And guess what,
talents ARE coming from all over the world. Brain-drain, remember?
One more note: Amartya Sen, who's came to Harvard in 1987 from Oxford,
says that one major reason he came to America was that there was more
OPPORTUNITIES to do research in America.
>Now a difference of 15000 US is a lot of money and unfortunately not everybody is like Stephen Hawking (one of the most famous physicists to date, presently
>holding a position that Isaac Newton once held at Cambridge) who turned down
>an astronomical amount for taking up a chair at MIT by saying,"Well, I'm
>sorry but I'm fine at Cambridge)
Hawkings is still young. Don't be surprised if he DOES go to MIT or
Stanford by the end of the decade. One reason he wrote "A Brief History of
Time" was to earn money to pay his bills!! [For proof, read his biography
written jointly by two other scientists; the book came out two
years ago]. Besides, even Hawkings has admitted that his sabattical at
the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) in the mid-70s was a
turning point in his research career. [For proof, read Hawkings latest
book, "Black Holes . . ." can't remember the full title.]
>So as long as the gas is a quid a gallon and the salary higher, one need not be
>surprised at that. Also, as long as the American students are sick and titred
>of listening to that lousy Arkansas accent of a president who "smoked a pot but
>didn't inhale", thousand times a day on the CNN and there's atleast one English
>lecturer's correct pronounciation to be mused at, Is there anything wrong at
>all? By the way, do note that the "mild exodus" of academics from Britain has
>primarily been from the "red brick" or the new universities. Despite this, I'm
>surprised that the exodus has worked the other way as well. My School, the LSE,
>has 20 plus Americans on the faculty and in a tiny student population of less
>than 5000, 500 plus are Americans.
My question is simple: How many of these Americans stay on for a PhD at LSE?
Most leave right after one- or two-year Master's, right? Their younger
counterparts who visit the LSE are basically undergradutes on an
exchange program at LSE, haina? You know, most American colleges have
this thing called "study abroad" program, through which it's not really
difficult to spend a semester or two at Oxbridge or LSE!! [But try spending a
semester at Princeton or Dartmouth on a similar exchange program; it's
next to impossible!]
For most Americans, or at least to a group of my friends (and I
agree that's not a GOOD way to draw a generalization!] an LSE Master's is
more of a polish on their academic career, a way to see the world, a way to
explore a 'foreign country' AND really nothing more . . . and I say this
NOT to deride LSE (I have great respect for LSE) but to share with you a
common folklore among some of my most accomplished friends.
[Aside: Even Bill Clinton, a Rhodes Scholar from Georgetown University, left
Oxford
without taking his degree and entered Yale Law School. In fact, last year, a
survey published in some magazine (I think it was The New Republic) even
showed that the number of American Rhodes Scholars who do NOT earn their
degrees at Oxford was very high. And, mind you, American Rhodes Scholars
form an intellectually formidable bunch!]
>On a lighter note: Congratulations Ashu for that accurate depiction of an
>English Aristocrat. Unfortunately we dont get to mingle with the fox hunters and are only a recessive part of an overwhelming English mainstream. And we
>dont also hang around Kantipur with tweed jackets and bowler hats, just like,
>I hope you don't hang around New Road with Boston Red sox baseball caps and
>purple Yale Shorts waving Big Mac and fries. (I'm sorry if you do)
>Well, the drinking age is 18 this side of the Atlantic but I don't think we
>differ much on anything else especially Rock n' Roll. After all, the legendary
>Mick Jagger studied at the London School of Economics!
Amusing. Very amusing. The way you've managed to bring in a
whole lot of irrelevant materials to shed light upon our original topic!!
Oh, well. We'll live.
>(I'm sorry if I have tried to sound pretty British : Actally they do annoy me
>a lot. To make for it though, they do pay me over six hundred quid a month -
>half of it to spend on cheap English lagers so for god's sake how can I not
>be a bit loyal?)
I'm sorry to say that you do NOT "sound pretty British" at all. The
British people I admire have much subtler sense of irony, wit,
self-deprecation and razor-sharp intelligence . . .
Anyway, I meant the above para in just to pull your leg! So, don't take it
personally.
Swarnim, it was fun reading your two postings.
Despite your palpable
loyalty to your alma mater BKS, I note that you did agree on the point of
"poor economics" That, my friend, was the crux of my previous arguments.
As long as we agree on the crux, I don't care how much we differ on the
details here and there.
In summation, I would like to iterate once again and for the last time
that for reasons explained earlier and now: BKS, as it stands, IS a case of
poor economics with potentially good foreign aid being used up in all
the WRONG directions. And I say this from a national [micro]
perspective, and NOT out of my own like or dislike for the school, its
able graduates, and its colorful headmasters!!
Swarnim, if you have any more questions or disagreements, you may write
straight to me.
namaste,
ashu
********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 22:08:44 -0600
From: pahari@ssc.wisc.edu
To: "nepal@.cs.niu.edu"@ssc.wisc.edu
Subject: Gurkhas in UN
In the past weeks I read with some interest in the TND ideas about
a UN Gurkha force. As I am sure most of us realize, there are many
ramifications to having Nepali Gurkhas involved in the UN. Some of
these cannot even be forseen at this time. However, advocates of a
UN Gurkha force, and in fact all of us, must pay mind to some of the
negative fallout that may come if Gurkhas "go UN."
One of the things that concerns me most is the danger of accumulating
"enemies" all over the globe on account of "UN Gurkhas'" interventions
(or possible interventions) in the myriad conflicts that define the
post-cold-war "order." Meddling in other peoples' fights, which is
more or less what a UN force does, is not known to have endeared any-
one to the fighting parties as anyone who has observed the Bosnia conflict
should know by now. A poor and needful nation like Nepal cannot afford
to go around amassing "enemies" across the world EVEN IF IT MEANS
SACRIFICING THE FINAICIAL GAINS TO BE HAD BY POTENTIAL UN-FORCE RECRUITS.
This is a changing world and no one knows for sure who is going to be on top
a decade, two, or three from now. Nepali citizens are beginning to traverse
the globe in search for higher wages (Japan, Middle-East, Germany, US, Vietnam)
and it would be a disaster if Nepalis civilians anywhere outside Nepal had to
face discrimination/retribution because of a history of "UN-Gurkha"
intervention in that particular country/community. Once the UN admits Gurkhas
Nepal no longer will control where, when and how long they will be deployed.
It is bad enough that over 100,000 Gurkhas serve in the Indian Army. But
at least we can assume that Indian-Gurkhas won't be deployed ANYWHERE --
India has a historically limited set of adversaries. The UN, by contrast,
can become involved anywhere.
In matters such as this one needs to think of the worst case scenarios. Would
Nepalis be prepared to accept being discriminated for visas, foreign-aid,
tourism, etc. by states in the future that feel that UN-Gurkhas carried
out unjustified mandates/acts in their countries? If not, then there is
no sense in pursuing this UN-Gurkha proposal.
Whenever there is the possibility of getting lucrative foreign-currency
jobs for thousands of Nepali citizens as in this case, it is always
something that Nepal and Nepalis should consider seriously. In this case,
however, I believe that the overall risks/costs outweigh the benefits,
especially when evaluated with the full scale of impacts in mind.
Anup Pahari
Lancaster, PA
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