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 TAA03077 for <huestis@library.wustl.edu>; Wed, 25 Jan 1995 19:55:23 -0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA12978 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-dist); Wed, 25 Jan 1995 15:25:09 -0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA12974 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-list); Wed, 25 Jan 1995 15:25:07 -0600 Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 15:25:07 -0600 Message-Id: <199501252125.AA12974@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 - Jan 26, 1995 (12 Magh 2051 BkSm) To: <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> Content-Type: text Content-Length: 51411 Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 91
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% N N EEEEEE PPPPPP AA L %
% NN N E P P A A L %
% N N N EEEE P P A A L %
% N N N E PPPPPP AAAAAA L %
% N NN E P A A L %
% N N EEEEEE P A A LLLLLL %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The Nepal Digest Thursday 26 Jan 95: Magh 12 2051 BkSm Volume 35 Issue 15
Today's Topics:
1. TAJA_KHABAR - News From Nepal
- Edmund Hilary or Someone Else?
- Updraft of Indian Economy
2. KURA_KANI
Social - Matrimonial on TND
- Re: Thank You Rakesh
Education - Re: BudanilKantha
3. KHOJ_KHABAR - Looking for my bhauju
4. JAN_KARI
Conference - Bhutanese Refugees
5. TITAR_BITAR
Request for Recepie
Transfering to Different University
******************************************************************************
* TND Board of Staff *
* ------------------ *
* Editor/Co-ordinator: Rajpal J. Singh a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu *
* SCN Liaison: Rajesh B. Shrestha rshresth@black.clarku.edu *
* Consultant Editor: Padam P. Sharma sharma@plains.nodak.edu *
* Discussion Moderator: Ashutosh Tiwari tiwari@husc.harvard.edu *
* Memberlist Archives: Sudeep Acharya sa01@engr.uark.edu *
* TND Archives: Sohan Panta k945184@atlas.kingston.ac.uk *
* Book Reviews Columns: Pratyoush R. Onta ponta@sas.upenn.edu *
* *
* Subscription/Deletion requests : NEPAL-REQUEST@MP.CS.NIU.EDU *
* Provide one line message: sub nepal "lastname, firstname, mi" <user@host> *
* [OPTIONAL] Provide few lines about your occupation, address, phone for *
* 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. *
* *
* 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. *
* *
* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
* "If you don't stand up for something, you will fall for anything" -Dr. MLK *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" - Sirdar_RJS_Khalifa *
* *
******************************************************************************
**********************************************************************
Date: 23 Jan 95 17:30:35 EST
From: Rajendra.P.Shrestha@Dartmouth.EDU (Rajendra P. Shrestha)
Subject: News1/20-22
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
January20
Delegation leaves for talks with World Bank officials
Excerpts from Xinhua report
An 8-member nepali governmental delegation left here today for the
United States to hold talks with the world bank (WB) on the proposed
Arun-111 hydro-electric project. After talking with WB in washington
d.c., the delegation led by hari prasad pandey, state minister of
industry and water resources, will also hold talks with the asian
development bank (adb), another donor agency, in manila on the
arun-111 as well as other hydro-electric projects.
Before the delegation left Kathmandu, an all-party discussion on
the project was held in the prime minister's residence. At the
meeting, the prime minister assured the opposition that the delegation
will keep the common views of all in mind during its
discussions. Earlier, minister Pandey had said that the new government
is not against the project but only hopes to make some improvements to
save money.
January 21
Deputy PM to visit India early Next Month
Foreign ministry officials and local newspapers said Saturday that
deputy PM and foreign minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will visit India
beginning on February 6. (DPA)
January 22
Major Crimes Decrease in Kathmandu
Excerpts from Xinhua report
The rate of major criminal cases in nepal's capital kathmandu has
dropped compared with previous years while minor crimes like burglary
and swindling are on the rise. in the first four months of the
current fiscal year, the number of cases reported was 363, out of
which 17 were homicide cases, 31 related to drugs, 28 to fatal road
accidents and 73 accidental deaths, according to the kathmandu
district police office. however, the data pertaining to the two
months up to january 14 revealed that a total of 198 cases were
reported, which included 10 cases of murder, 24 suicides, 17 burglary
and theft cases, 18 related to drugs, 49 accidental deaths, eight
swindling cases, 33 public offenses and three cases of flesh
trade. suicide cases were apparently on the rise every year, as
revealed by the data. the police office has a strength of 1,300
personnel to serve 1.5 million people in the area.
NC to act as Responsible Opposition
Excerpts from Xinhua report
Sher B. Deuba, parliamentary leader of the former ruling nepali
congress (NC), reasserted that his party would play as a responsible
opposition in nepal. speaking at a press conference organized by the
editors' society of nepal here this afternoon, deuba stated that nc
did not want to embarrass the current communist-led government by
going to the street as what they had done against the then nc
government soon after it was being set up. instead, the opposition
parliamentary leader said that "we'll do criticisms of contribution to
the present government and unnecessary hindrance will not be created
by NC".
However, while stressing the importance of exercising the policy of
liberalization of the country's economy, Deuba expressed his doubts
whether the present government could insist on the policy which might
be diverted one day. On the foreign policies adopted by the
government, Deuba noted that his party would support activities taken
by the government out of consideration of the national interests and
integrity.
******************************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 00:56:08 -0500
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: eNews: Sunday Star-Times: I'll prove my grandfather beat Hillary.
From: ncd@3tt.kiwi.gen.nz (Neville C. Dempsey,+64,25-766185,9-8343888)
Title: I'll prove my grandfather beat Hillary
Author: unstated
Publication: Sunday Star-Times, Section A3
Date: January 15, 1995
An Australian climber is planning an expedition to prove his
grandfather beat Sir Edmund Hillary to the summit of Mt Everest.
Melbourne bourne mountaineer George Mallory II believes Englishman
George Leigh Mallory scaled the world's highest mountain in 1924 - 29
years ahead of the great New Zealander.
[delete]
George Mallory was last seen alive at 1pm on June 8 that year, with
his climbing companion Andrew Irvine.
[delete]
They were last seen by Noel Odell, who was in a support group of the
British expedition, above the Second Step - the last rocky obstacle
before the summit - going strong for the top.
The the cloud clamped down and they were never seen again.
[delete]
"If either of the bodies are found, it should be possible to retrieve
their cameras," said Mr Mallory.
[delete]
The body of a European climber, believed to have been George Mallory,
was found in 1975 by a Chinese climber, climbing with a Japanese
expedition. He told the expedition leader that the body - found at
8100m - was dressed in old-fashion clothing which crumbled when
touched. He buried the body in snow.
[delete]
A 35-year-old school teacher, Mallory is also remembered for the most
famous quote about the killer mountain. When asked why mountaineers
wanted to climb the world's highest peak Mallor replied: "Because
it's there."
ENDS
NCD - nz.auckland
*************************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 01:00:59 -0500
From: rshresth@black.clarku.edu (RaJesh B. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: eNews: Sunday Star-Times: I'll prove my grandfather beat Hillary.
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
>Title: I'll prove my grandfather beat Hillary
>Author: unstated
>Publication: Sunday Star-Times, Section A3
>Date: January 15, 1995
> An Australian climber is planning an expedition to prove his
>grandfather beat Sir Edmund Hillary to the summit of Mt Everest.
>Melbourne bourne mountaineer George Mallory II believes Englishman
>George Leigh Mallory scaled the world's highest mountain in 1924 - 29
>years ahead of the great New Zealander.
Tom Holzel wrote a well-researched book on this topic published in
1986 called "First on Everest : the mystery of Mallory and Irvine".
His theory is that Mallory may have reached the summit without Irvine.
An ice-axe belonging to either Mallory or Irvine was found below
the first step by the next British expedition in 1933 (i.e. further down
the ridge than where Odell thought he saw the two climbers). Holzel felt
that Irvine may have turned back soon after Odell saw them, and dropped
the ice-axe (and vanished before reaching the top camp), and that Mallory
went on for the summit. But this is largely speculation on his part.
> "If either of the bodies are found, it should be possible to retrieve
> their cameras," said Mr Mallory.
Holzel also mounted an expedition to search for Mallory and his camera in
the late 80's sometime, but was unable to find any new evidence. He even
had a high-tech device that was supposed to look for some kind of resonant
signature from the camera, but to no avail.
Reinhold Messner also intended to follow Mallory's route and look for
evidence during his solo climb of Everest in 1980. However, he was
forced to switch from the ridge to the face due to excessive snow.
In his book "The Crystal Horizon" Messner expressed the opinion that
he didn't think Mallory could have made it.
> A 35-year-old school teacher, Mallory is also remembered for the most
>famous quote about the killer mountain. When asked why mountaineers
>wanted to climb the world's highest peak Mallory replied: "Because
>it's there."
Of course, there's some dispute about whether he actually said this
or it was invented by the NY Times reporter that interviewed him. Mallory
did write the following in 1922, which I've always liked:
The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this,
"What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?" and my answer must at once be,
"It is no use." There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever.
Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high
altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account
for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We
shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal
or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with
crops to raise food. It's no use.
So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to
the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is
the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why
we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after
all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make
money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for.
***************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 01:01:44 -0500
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: eNews: Sunday Star-Times: I'll prove my grandfather beat Hillary.
From: fkroger@coho.halcyon.com (Frank F Kroger)
>From the book: Mountains of the Gods, Ian Cameron, Imago Publishing, UK
US edition published by Facts on File.
US ed page 192:
"In 1975 a body was found.
The discovery seems to have been deliberately hushed up at the time,
and it is only recently that reports of what took place have filtered
though to the ouside world. One of these reports is of a conversation
which took place between two climbers, the Chinese Wang Hong Bao and the
Japanese Ryoten Hasegawa. The former, one of China's best and most
experienced climbers, was killed by an avalance in 1979, and it seems
that the day he died he told Hasegawa that during the 1975 ascent of
Everest he found 'two deads'. The first (at about 21,000 ft 6558 m) was
undoubtedly Maurice Wilson, the Yorkshireman who had tried to climb Mount
Everest alone, and whose body had already been found and buried by
Shipton in 1935. The second (at about 26,000ft, 8113 m) was in the
snow-slopes directly beneath the second 'step'. Wang apparently told his
collegue: "When I touched the clothes of this dead at 8100 metres, the
cloth fell to pieces and blew away in the wind.' Hasegawa asked if the
body could have been that of a Russian, and Wang said, 'No, the Russians
never climb that high,' and he several times repeated 'English! English!;
he then etched in characters in the snow the word 'Englishman 8100' (metres).
For years the Chinese denied that any body had been found. They
then suggested the body was that of Wu Tsung-yueh, who fell to his death
from only a little below the summit during the Chinese expedition of
1975. However, this makes nonsense of Wang's testimony; for how could he
have confused the body of a recently deceased Asiatic in modern kit, with
the body of a Westerner, in old-fashioned and disintegrating kit which
had been lying on the mountain for 40 years?
Our only other evidence is that of a well-known and highly respected
British mountaineer- he insists on remaining anonymous- who was recently
present when a Chinese climber said in public, 'There is no truth in the
story that any other body (apart from Maurice Wilson's) was found on
Everest in 1975.' However, he told the Britisher sotto voce that a body
HAD been discovered, and he believed there had been a camera with it. He
is also reported to have said that if the camera had contained
photographs taken from the summit, the Chinese Mountaineering Association
would have been unwilling to admit their existence, since this would
negate the Chinese claim to have made (in 1975) the first ascent of
Everest from the north.
One wonders why, if there was not a camera on the body and the
camera did not contain any such photographs, the Chinese should have been
so secretive about its discovery?
The more closely one looks into the story of Mallory and Irvine, the
more likely it now seems that they did indeed reach the summit."
**********************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 00:50:09 -0500 (EST)
From: Ashutosh Tiwari <tiwari@husc.harvard.edu>
Subject: Interview: Enjoy the Updraft of the Indian Economy
To: The Nepal Digest
What follows is a (no-jargon-laden) interview with Professor Jeffrey
Sachs of Harvard University. This was taken in Kathmandu in August 1994, and
was published in weekly SPOTLIGHT newsmagazine of September 9-15, 1994,
pages 22-4)
ENJOY THE UPDRAFT OF THE INDIAN ECONOMIC BOOM
Jeffrey D. Sachs
Hailed as "probably the most important economist in the world" by
the New York Times, Jeffrey D. Sachs, 39 [40 now], is the Galen L.
Stone Professor of International Trade at Harvard University --
the institution from where he earned his BA summa cum laude in
economics in 1976 and a PhD in 1980. A vocal and influential
advocate of "shock therapy" (that is, rapid transition from
command to market economy), Professor Sachs has served as an
advisor to the governments of, among other countries, Bolivia,
Poland, Mongolia, and was, until last January [1994], the leader
of the team of advisors to Boris Yeltsin. [He was also named as
one of the "Fifty for the Future: Time's roster of America's most
promising leaders age 40 and under" (Time, December 5, 1994). He was
said to be "to ailing economies what Albert Schweitzer was to
disease-stricken backwaters."] In Kathmandu last August on a private
visit, Harvard's most widely- known economist since John Kenneth
Galbraith spoke to Ashutosh Tiwari in the lounge of the Yak'n'Yeti
Hotel. Excerpts from the 40-minute interview:
The economic order of the world is in transition. Political
changes are underway in many countries. Command markets are going
the way of free markets. Meantime, critics are saying that it's
not democracy that has triumphed, but consumerism. As an advocate
of free market, how do you respond to this charge?
I don't see [the worldwide economic transition] as a triumph
of consumerism. I see it more as a triumph of political freedom
and economic freedom. Freedom in and of itself is for the people
to be able to satisfy their highest aspirations. Besides,
practically speaking, we have seen that those countries which have
allowed free markets, that is privately-led, outward-oriented
economies, to function have prospered the most.
Earlier, the
strategy was to let the state control the market. Now, [the
transition] has proven that the state-led economic growth has
largely failed -- in country after country, state after state.
People previously under economies that did not allow free market
are now exercising their freedom to experiment with it.
In your lecture [at the Bankers' Club in Thapathali on August 26],
you said that as part of economic reforms, state-led industries
should be privatized. In Nepal, privatization is widely seen as
giving "democracy" only to those who have "capital" as opposed to
those who have "wealth." How can privatization work when, in
practice, its starting premise is biased against the poor?
Worldwide experience shows that state-led industries bleed
the national treasury. Governments cannot go on bailing out the
ailing firms all the time. Privatization is one way to reduce the
burden of the state and make those industries accountable and
responsive to the market forces.
Privatization does not mean giving the firm to your friend:
It takes great political skill and sensitivity on the part of the
government to push it through. The major prerequisite to
privatization is that the process should be open, honest,
competitive and transparent. The workers within the enterprise
and others must feel that they have a stake in firms that are
being privatized. As in Mexico, the government could earmark a
part of privatization funds to go into social sectors, and stick
to that commitment. Shares could be sold at low prices so that
even the poor can afford them -- a strategy along the lines of
Margaret Thatcher's 'popular capitalism.'
Greater the care taken to make the process of privatization
fair and transparent, the greater and the more effective the
benefits. Compared to India's, however, Nepal's privatization is
ahead and doing well. You've privatized three or more industries;
while India has privatized none . . . (laughter) you be the
leader, and show India the way to reforms.
Talking of India, you have said that "[it may well be] the fastest
growing nation in the developing world in the second half of the
Nineties." Why?
India has a vast reservoir of labor and talent. With stable
democracy, a good legal system and able entrepreneurs, it is
poised for economic growth. In 1991, it introduced economic
liberalization. Its previously closed economy has opened up to
the outside world. It has reduced tariff barriers, made the rupee
partially convertible and done away with the license system. But
all that is not enough for India to be a true powerhouse -- for
which India has ample potential -- in the world economy.
Why?
Because all those steps go only half the way to full
liberalization. Trade reforms have yet to take place in India.
Consumer goods, for example, are not up for trade with other
countries. Indians are ambivalent to foreign direct investment
(FDI): They are afraid that Americans will start buying up their
industries.
But trade is a two-way street, benefiting all. Labor
is highly regulated in India. Labor law reforms are necessary.
Financial sectors such as banks should be strengthened away from
the grasp of the state, and value-added tax structure, together
with privatization, could pave the way to growth. In addition,
private sector could finance some of India's infrastructure-
building activities such as road, power, and telecom. All these
would actually free the government, currently burdened with
running almost all the sectors, to concentrate on the most needy
sectors such as health, education, and spreading the wealth to the
poor.
But given India's reluctant and suspicious politicians, what's to
keep them from not going full steam ahead with reforms? What's
the incentive for them to push for quick reform?
India will have to go for full reforms. International
pressure and the benefits accruing from participation in the world
economy will not stall its reforms. More to the point, India is,
at present, sufficiently strapped for cash. There are investors
coming in with cash that India needs. Political will is
important, of course. But a group of investors with money when
you don't have much is also a powerful incentive to go ahead with
reforms. Good reforms, after all, are also good politics, and
India's politicians have realized this.
In the face of such a giant of an economy waking up next door, one
wide-spread fear in Nepal is that with no correspondence legal and
political reforms on our part, Indian businessmen will swamp Nepal
in the name of liberalization . . . and that we will end up being
cheap laborers in Indian-owned business units all over Nepal. How
do we reconcile the logic of free trade with the art of
safeguarding Nepal's sovereignty?
Today's world is so economically interdependent that no
country's economy can afford to be away from the reach of the
global economy. Nepal is no exception. The benefits of joining
the global economy with a deeper pool of finance, technology,
production, and capital and labor are many. Nepal has started the
process of economic liberalization . . . I say 'go ahead with the
reforms.' Trade, I say again, is a two-way street.
Ten years ago, Nepal exported 90 percent of its goods to
India. Today, it exports 90 percent of its goods to the rest of
the world, earning more in the process. Now that the Indian
market is booming, Nepal cannot remain aloof from that regional,
dynamic market. The costs of being isolated are just too high.
So Nepal should look into the coming economic boom in India, and
decide how best to ride the wave. So Nepal might as well enjoy
the updraft of the booming Indian economy. But to get the most
out of the Indian boom, legal reforms, among other reforms, must
take place soon and simultaneously in Nepal.
Nepal has an open border with India. Many Nepalis think that this
arrangement is not in Nepal's advantage, for Indian laborers can
easily come to Nepal and take over the jobs of semi-skilled Nepali
laborers . . .
I do not know the historical details. But open borders do
present complex issues. Yes, on one hand, Indians come to Nepal
to work. But you must not forget that there are also many Nepalis
working in India . . . Without a proper study, however, it's hard
to say what is or is not good for Nepal when it comes to the issue
of its open border with India.
Nepal is a country full of hills and mountains. [Dipak Gyawali
pointed out in Himal magazine of May/June '94 that] market reforms
widen the income gap between the hills and the plains -- with the
former stuck to serve as the repository of migrant labor and
stagnant resources, while the latter moves ahead with capital
accumulation and industrialization. Are hill economies condemned
to slide down as market forces assert themselves?
With market forces in place, not all regions will grow at an
equal rate all the time. The market is biased towards the plains.
Because of a comparatively easy geography, the economy of the
plains does grow at a faster rate than that of the hills. In the
beginning, this will create 'politics of envy,' with the plains
outpacing the hills on every economic indicator by a large margin.
With right policies and political will, however, the hill economy
can catch up with that of the plains. But that will take some
time.
Take India, for example. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and northern
states have not experienced the same kind of growth that
Maharastra and other southern states have seen. But of course,
there's more to the growth story than the fact of geography alone,
even though that is an important factor.
Talking about geography, you have worked in Bolivia, which, like
Nepal, is a democratic, land-locked, mountainous country with a
vast rural population, and is located right next to a big neighbor
[Brazil]. What lessons can Nepal draw from Bolivia's economic
experience?
Economic reforms started in Bolivia in 1985. I think that
the Bolivian experience has four broad lessons to all: First, a
poor country with many linguistic and ethnic division can be
stable and proud. Second, a deep economic crisis can be solved
through democracy by building political coalitions and
understanding. Third, even with traditional industries gone, new
industries can come up to equip people to be the players in the
changing, new economy. And fourth, with sound economic policies,
regional geographic differentiation leads to regional
specialization of production of goods and services: The low-lying
parts of Bolivia [comparable to Nepal's tarai] now export
soybeans, a crop not widely planted previously.
There are also specific lessons to Nepal: Bolivia has
enjoyed a strong political commitment to economic reforms since
1982, when democracy swept aside a dictatorial regime. The state
has actively promoted the private sector in building the
infrastructure. The government has taken democracy to the
grassroutes through constitutional power and re-orientation of the
tax system. By and large, Bolivians have more opportunities to
participate in their country's economic and political systems.
Bolivia's present government came to power last year. It has
been pushing for popular participation and radical
decentralization. With private sector being groomed to be the
engine of the economy, the government is focusing more and more on
education, health, and other aspects of human resource
participation. Bolivia hopes to achieve a growth rate of five to
six percent. So far, the response of international investors has
been good.
Your impatience with the slow pace of reforms in Russia made
headlines in January 1994. You blamed the West for not coming
through with the pledged amount of aid to Yeltsin. With regard to
the developing world, would you also advocate a sort of a modern
Marshal Aid that would help countries [in transition like Nepal]
speed up their economic reforms?
Aid is necessary at the critical stage of transition. But
foreign aid alone has never helped any country anywhere achieve a
long-term growth. We have seen many World Bank loans and aid,
notably to Africa, going bad, with no clear results coming out.
Such examples aside, we are seeing that the size of bilateral and
multilateral financing is diminishing. More and more nations now
have to look for private international money to finance their
projects.
The Arun III hydro-electric project, for example, should not
come through foreign aid. Putting all the eggs in one basket of
aid is not sound economics. Nepal should look for international
private financing to fund such huge projects.
The role of aid should be limited to two areas: First,
wherever there is a need to launch acute reforms; second, wherever
there exists a provision for the recipients to get the aid
directly. Helping the government reform its economy is one way
through which aid becomes useful. This way, rather than managing
every sector of the economy, the government limits itself to
improving the sectors of health and education, and making and
enforcing the rules of the market that are fair and wise.
Finally, two short questions: what made you want to become an
economist? What does it feel like being a professional who
travels from country to country to "fix" broken economies?
I did not get into economics because I was good in math, and
so on. Rather, I was lucky to be born in a family where there
were intense discussions about international affairs and events.
In high school, I was fortunate to visit the former Soviet Union,
which helped me think along the lines of what made a society
function better. Going to study at Harvard was great too. One
book I had to read early at Harvard was Joseph Schumpeter's
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, which was an eye-opener. As
an undergraduate, I was thrilled to discover that there was a
scientific way of finding answers to many questions about society
that I had been thinking of all along.
In my professional life, meeting a variety of people in all
over the world has been fascinating. Working to improve the lives
of people all over the world has been the most satisfying part of
my career. For an economist, what others call "vacation" is
mostly work.
[Ashutosh Tiwari thanks Bikas Joshi, a Nepali undergraduate at Harvard
and a promising young economist in his own right, writing his senior honors
thesis under Professor Sachs' supervision, for his help in arranging this
interview in Kathmandu.]
******************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 01:13:33 -0500
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Request for Recipes
From: freemon@hsvaic.hv.boeing.com (Brett Freemon)
Hello,
I am looking for a variety of Nepalese recipes. Could you send me
your favorites? I would be interested in the exotic to the everyday
fare. If I get a good response I will summarize/organize them and
post the results, if others are also interested.
I have had no luck in locating a Nepalese cookbook and I would also
appreciate any suggestions.
My family and I will be traveling to Nepal later this year for an
extended stay in the Katmandu area.
Thanks in advance and please respond to the Email address below,
Brett Freemon, Orlando, FL USA
freemon@calif.enzian.com
******************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 03:36:43 -0500 (EST)
From: Rajesh Acharya <RA3371@ALBNYVMS.BITNET>
Subject: Matrimonial on TND
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
This is in response to Mr. Surag Rai's (a very close friend of mine) comment several
issues back that promoting matrimonial on TND was nonsensical and that
it should be eliminited. I agree, as stated by Mr. Rai that the dowry system
has gone out of hand, however, I disagree that arranged marriages, as implied
by Mr. Rai, is nonsensical. In my opinion, arrange marriages serve a very
definite purpose in Nepal. A typical family in Nepal has a father, mother,
children, and if lucky grandfather and a grandmother. The family functionss
as a team and it is only appropriate that all members are satisfied with
the newcomer (bride) in the house. Typically, the breadwinner (usually
the father) of the house decides who the bride will be. Ideally, he would
confide with the rest of the family and would make sure the groom or the
bride are happy with the choice. Very often the groom has not chosen a
partner for life and has no reason to disagree with the family decision.
And as with any other culture, there are exceptions, and myself like Mr.
Rai would deplore exceptions that violate basic human rights.
I feel that arrange marriages, if performed in a dignified manner,
is inherently a good system that creates stability in the family and ensures
a long and happy marriage. Quite often, Nepalese living in America get bombarded
by the media as well as the culture that arrange marriages are wrong and that one
must choose one's one partner in life to have a blissful and fulfilling marriage
A typical reply here in America would be "are you choosing a wife for
yourself or for your parents?". And again there is the never ending
stream of advertisements that adore individuality and portray the
charisma of choosing one's own mate. And all too often, as vulnerable
as we are, tend to slowly engulf into this stream of thought and tend
to believe that not only is America in the forefront of technology, but
also in family planning and all other social aspects.
One must realise that there are inherent differences in values
held in Nepali culture as opposed to American culture. Assumptions
implied in America are not usually valid in Nepal. Assumptions such as:
1) In America, it is assumed that 99.9% of couples are incompatible
and would not be able to live life happily together. Therefore, one
must choose a partner and make sure they are compatible with each other
before they make a commitment. In contrary, Nepalese culture assumes
that 99.9% of couples are inherenly compatible and can learn to live
a happy life and that very few couples are inherently incompatible.
There two basic assumptions regulate how partneres are chosen in each
society. Both societies are correct in their own way.
2) In America since the parents of the newly weds live in different
houses, it is normal that parents do not exert pressure on who the bride
or the groom will be. Simple because the parents do not have to live
with the newly weds and their role in the family is much less than a
typical parent in Nepal. These cultural differences have encouraged
what we call "love marriage" in America, and "arrange marriage" in Nepal.
Thus both forms of marriage sustain the vastly different ways of
life. I, like Mr. Rai abhor the dowry system when it is based on greed
and when the groom bargains from a position of strength. However, it
is important that Mr. Rai realize that the dowry system is not a product
of arranged marriage, but rather the offspring of lack of respect for
women in Nepal. I would thus urge Mr. Rai to reexamine his statement
that "arranged matrimonial in TND is nonsensical".
I personally urge
TND to encourage the matrimonial section, since I have personally
witnessed several of my very close friends whose hearts are lonely,
desperate,sad,unsatiated, sequestered,hermited,joggi babba, clamoring,
scorching,ebbing and yearning for some real love and lovey dobby.
Nameste,
Rajesh Acharya
University At Albany,NY
P.S. The dowry system cannot be stopped by discouraging arranged marriages,
but rather by encouraging more respect for women in Nepal.
*********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 95 12:25:10 EST
From: PSHRESTH@MIAMIU.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Budhanilkantha School (again)
This is in response to Ashtush's article(?) in TND. I just wanted to make it
clear that I didn't want to engage in a superlong debate about the validity or
invalidity of his "dissatisfaction" about the set-up of BKS. Yes, I'm aware of
the "little bit of history" in Himal magazine. And no, I don't understand what
the funding of a few poor but very bright students has anything to do with
"Nepalese travelling down to India to become cheap bahadurs" (please refer to
the last issue of TND). But I think these are trival and insignificant points.
What I'm more interested in knowing is if people like Mr. Kedar Mathema(VC of
TU) and a whole bunch of other presumbale intellectuals Ashtush mentioned are
so against the gov't funding of BKS, then why hasn't anything been done to
change that for such a long time?? To use the fashionable TND phrase, could
anyone enlighten me?
Prabin
********************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 14:10:59 -0500 (EST)
From: Ashutosh Tiwari <tiwari@husc.harvard.edu>
Subject: Thank you, Rakesh
To: Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
My thanks to Rakesh Karmacahrya for his carpet-bombing TND by replying
to my "psychobabble". Gee, if Rakesh takes my mere "psychobabble" so
seriously, I wonder how he would read and interpret what follows below:
> The above line was not intended as a call for any form of censorship of
> such material but as an exhortation to the TND contributors to leave
> personal grudges aside and discuss relevant topics untainted by personal
> animosities.
> What TND serves as a forum for is largely determined by the
> articles that are posted, and certaily the more prolific writers do set a
> trend. It would be a pity if TND degenerated into a billboard for people to
> take care of their insecurities by posting irrelevant personal attacks.
> Such dastardly acts may be therapeutic for the writer, but it is unfair for
> the general readers at large to waste their time going over material that
Rakesh: You're preaching moral science here. What you've said above
is all soft, mushy and agreeable stuff, and that's very nice and warm. But
what's that got to do with FREE SPEECH, which was, as I recall, the theme of
your FIRST [non-ethnic] TND posting?
Anyway, now that you have made your assertions, in all sincerity, I
challenge (used in a
positive sense) you, Rakesh, to show me a SINGLE example of "contributors'
tak[ing] care of their insecurities by posting irrelevant personal
attacks". Can you give me a single example? Or, are you just reading
too closely on everybody's postings, and conjuring up concealed meanings for
yourseleves? Or do you think that you are so important that TND contributors
have to set aside their time to "make personal attacks", perhaps on you?
Come on, get real. Rather than preaching homilies here WITH NO EVIDENCE,
get to the point . . . what do you mean?
If anything Rakesh, though TND may be far from perfect, but surely
you'd agree that it has NOT quite degenerated into the cesspool that
you seem to fear about . .. right? Othewise, 800 smart TND readers (and,
yes, that includes you too!) would not be reading TND every other day?
Or, are you, lacking clearer arguments and examples, taking a high-handed
approach by saying that other readers are all stupid morons who indulge
in "vapid tit and tat tussel over petty arguments" while detached and
refined souls like you are, all aloof and disinterested?
IF so, that's all fine; but again what's that got to do with your points on
FREE SPEECH?
> Tiwarijee, given the option of the TND writers/readers using their own
> wisdom to decide what to post versus that of an editor/moderator serving
> the role of a censor, I will assure you that I will wholeheartedly go with
> the former.
Now. where does this come from? I fail to see a logical
transition here.
At any rate, Rakesh, your moralizing argument can be summarized like
this: Let there be free speech but let there be no concealed personal
attacks.
To that I say, What kind of free speech are you talking about if you
are going to put a limit on it? Or, Rakesh, are you suggesting a code of
conduct or a speech code for all TND contributors so that personal
attacks can be wiped out ? If so, now, how do YOU reconcile that stance with
your earlier absolute claim on free speech? Hello, isn't there a conflict
here?
You bet there is! And that's why I called your arguments -- NOT
you, mind you -- ILLIBERAL. Because your arguments indicate that you seem to
want to have it both ways -- free speech with sexual stuff but NOT free
speech with personal attacks. My point is that with free speech, you're
going to get BOTH stuff, and there's little you can do about it, and
that's why you'd better learn to live with BOTH the concealed personal
attacks and the sexual stuff. Free speech gives equal weight to both stuff
though in a few caes the CONTEXTS may make a difference (racial and ethnic
slurs are excepted for reasons I think you know!).
All right, let us assume that you argue against personal attacks on
grounds of taste and judgment. If so, now tell me, as Bal Krishna
Sharma has already argued here, shouldn't the SAME criteria of taste
and judgement be used by the editors against [gratuitous] sexual stuff?
Why not? Why yes for one thing, and no for another? If personal attacks
can be offensive to some people, then liberals like you should be
aware that sexual stuff on TND can also be offensive to OTHER people for
other reasons. But see, you'd like your sexual stuff without
personal attacks thrown in, right, and I say that THAT makes a bad case
for free speech, a sort of "Free speech for me, not for thee" kind of
silliness that gives liberalism a bad name.
So my point was: using your criteria -- developed strictly from your
arguments -- Rakesh, how is a TND editor to decide what to cut and what
to leave in?
Only a moment's reflection would assure you that the editor can't
decide anything by using your "free speech for this but not for that"
kind of reasoning. From the perspective of the editor, it's much better
to let EVERYTHING go so that both personal attacks and sexual stuff would be
attacked by BETTER, CLEARER ideas out there . . .and that exchange out there
would do justice to BOTH personal attacks and sexual stuff . . .
> I do not have the time to engage in vapid tit-for-tat volleys that often
********************************
> accompany petty arguments
> in TND. I have better things to do on a cloudy evening than sit in front
> of my computer and psychobabble.
*************
WEll, I will let all intelligent TND readers to read the above
paragraph and to decide for themselves how best to interpret Rakesh's
remarks, and whether or not they constitute, despite Rakesh's high-handed
rhetoric against personal attacks, some sort of ad hominem attacks on
this writer.
As for "psychobabble", well, I take it as a compliment.
Thank you, Rakesh -- as Margaret Thatcher said about Neil
Kinnock in her autobio -- for "playing the wrong tune all the way to the
end.", and for making your PERSONAL style of arguments and
justifications public. I could not have asked for a better evidence myself.
Finally, I prefer ashu to Tiwarijee. It just makes YOU sound more
natural and secure. Not to mention, easier for you to type in, hai na ta?
Rakesh, thank you. And I look forward to your third non-ethnic TND
posting, perhaps (now that Amulya has gone back to Nepal) an exposition
on some sexual stuff that we can all find "educational". Hey, free speech
allows you to do that, you know!
namaste
ashu
********************************************************************
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 14:31:42 EST
To: The nepal Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu>
From: Dare Koslow <dk107@columbia.edu>
Subject: Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal
FOR IMMEDIATE POSTING:
All are invited to attend an academic conference being hosted by Columbia
University on Saturday, February 18, 1995.
TOPIC: BHUTANESE REFUGEES: An Unresolved Crisis
AIM: To bring together representatives of governments, international
community and human rights organizations, representativies of the
Bhutanese refugees and members of the academic community to analyze the
Bhutanese refugee issue in the context of other refugee problems in the
world, and to explore and recommend viable policy options that promote
international law and the human rights conventions.
DATE/LOCATION: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1995
9:15 AM - 5:00PM
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DAG HAMMARSKJOLD LOUNGE (SIXTH FLOOR)
420 WEST 118TH STREET
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
ALL INTERESTED ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.
*****************************************************************
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 1995 17:48:42 PST
To: a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu
From: Amresh Karmacharya <psu01146@odin.cc.pdx.edu>
Subject: Any One?
I am a graduate student majoring in biology here at Portland State Univ.,
Oregon. I am trying to transfer to a different school and I have
requested to my sponsor, the Fulbright Program, to try in one of the
following schools.
# Washington State University, Pullman
# Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
# Calfornia State University, Fullerton
# Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
Therefore if there is any Nepali studying in the above mentioned
universities kindly let me know. I would like to keep in touch as soon as
possible.
Amresh.
*************************************************************************
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 12:39:40 EST
To: Multiple recipients of list HDESK-L <HDESK-L@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU>
From: Elysa Leventon <elevento@CC.BRYNMAWR.EDU>
Subject: NETWORK POSITION
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE
BRYN MAWR, PENNSYLVANIA
NETWORK SUPPORT SPECIALIST POSITION AVAILABLE
Reporting to the Assistant Director of User Services, responsible for
design, installation and troubleshooting a LAN/WAN multiprotocol network
using TCP/IP, IPX and Appletalk. Position provides user support for a
heterogeneous client environment.
Required Education, Experience and Skills
-Knowledge of router configuration including security and
maintenance, preferably CISCO
-Experience in TCP/IP, IPX and Appletalk administration,
performance analysis, configuration and design
-General network troubleshooting skills
-Strong interpersonal/communication skills
-Experience with Ethernet, switched Ethernet design as well as
familiarity with network wiring installation projects a
plus
Please submit a resume, cover letter and the names, titles and current
telephone numbers of three professional references to: Personnel Services,
Bryn Mawr College, 101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899. EOE M/F
Elysa Leventon
Assistant Director of User Services
Bryn Mawr College
101 North Merion Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899
(610) 526-7426
(610) 526-7432 Fax
elevento@brynmawr.edu
*******************************************************************
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 08:39:00 PST
To: nepal-request@cs.niu.edu,
From: "BHATTARAI, SAROJ" <S.BHATTARAI@CGNET.COM>
Subject: request
Thanks for your update. Can you please send me the phone number/email address
of my close friend Dinesh Malla. He is doing his graduate program in
management (That's what I heard) . Please give him my email address. Please
tell him to call me collect if he does not have a phone.
My phone number is 703-318-8856
email address: s.bhattarai@cgnet.com
Thanks
Saroj
******************************************************************************
* 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. CHOOT_KILA (Humor, Recipies, Movie Reviews, Sattaires etc.) *
* 7. JAN_KARI: Classifides (Matrimonials, Jobs etc) *
* 8. KHOJ_KHABAR (Inquiring about Nepali etc. ) *
* 9. TITAR_BITAR: Miscellaneous (Immigration and Taxex etc. ) *
* *
* **** 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. *
* *
******************************************************************************
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% %%
%% END OF "THE NEPAL DIGEST". %%
%% %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Jan 11 2000 - 11:15:37 CST