Red (=Democratic) Nepal

Why is Nepal poor?

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:24:00 +0000

Writing for My Republica, Chandan Sapkota, an economist and a blogger, writes about the importance of institutional development for the growth and equitable, sustainable development of the Nepali economy. Here is the article.

In 1820, Nepal’s GDP per capita (1990 PPP US$) was US$397, which was US$312 higher than Singapore’s and US$121 lower than Australia’s. By 1913, a Singaporean and an Australian were 2.37 times and 14.93 times richer than a Nepali was.

Furthermore, in 1950, Botswana’s, a landlocked country in Sub-Saharan Africa, its GDP per capita was US$148 lower than Nepal’s (at US$496). Fast forward to 2008, a Botswanian was 4.21 times richer than a Nepali (a Singaporean and an Australian 24.79 times and 22.31 times respectively).

Based on 2010’s current purchasing power parity, Nepal is the twentieth poorest country in the world and its GDP per capita is below the average of low-income countries.

Why is Nepal languishing behind while other countries, which started with pretty much similar income level in the past two centuries, are witnessing high level of prosperity? Why are resource-rich as well as landlocked countries making bigger strides than Nepal in the past six decades?

In a new book titled “Why Nations Fail,” MIT’s Daron Acemoglu and Harvard’s James Robinson offer persuasive reasoning and insights on the failure of nations like Nepal to prosper, innovate, and achieve sustainable economic growth.

Though the book does not specifically include discussion related to the failure of Nepal to usher an economic revolution, it does offer a compelling theory for the failure of low-income country like ours.

Extractive institutions

In short, nations like Nepal fail because of the continued supremacy of extractive political and economic institutions over pluralism and the freedom to engage in productive activities without fear of expropriation and extortion.

Extractive economic institutions are the practices and policies that are designed to extract incomes and wealth for the benefit of a few elites at the expense of ordinary citizens.

Some of these are insecure private property rights, expropriation of returns to investment, unfriendly labor regulations, uncompetitive practices, and imprudent macroeconomic management such as high inflation and currency controls. These have stifled entrepreneurial spirit and dis-incentivized saving, investment and innovation.

But they have helped rulers and elites concentrate power and wealth even at the cost of unrest, strife and civil war. The power holders are neglecting investment in basic public services such as education, innovation, technology, healthcare and infrastructure—the drivers of economic growth— and resisting reforms because it threatens the power and wealth of the extractors.

Even when there are institutional changes, the elites ensure that the new institutions are not pluralistic enough to challenge their hold on power and wealth.

The vicious circles between extractive political and economic institutions has impeded economic growth and restricted pluralistic distribution of political power.

Both before and after the economy was liberalized, the same set of businesspersons, corporate houses and politicians has been tightly controlling economic activities, leading to suppression of creative destruction.

Some of the examples include syndicates in the transport sector, middlemen in agriculture, unruly and politically affiliated labor unions, macroeconomic imprudence for the benefit of party cadres, land and fertilizer capture, extralegal levies, control of the telecom sector by elites until it was liberalized to initially benefit a select investors, and control of development projects by party associates, among others.

Even though there were political changes, the ensuing institutions retained the core values of extraction. These were prevalent during and after the Rana regime, and in the decade-long insurgency. Unfortunately, the same extractive practices and policies are given continuity after 2006.

Unless at critical junctures the drive to institutional change leads to inclusive institutions, the same elites and set of powerbrokers and power holders will continue to run the show in one way or the other—social scientists call it “iron law of oligarchy”.

For instance, the extractive and repressive Rana regime was replaced in 1950 by a constitutional monarch, who was surrounded by sycophants and extractive institutions that morphed into a different form but still retained its extractive nature.

The weak democratic movement and the nascent inclusive institutions threatened the power and playing field of the elites (oligarchs) and feudal order. This led to the coup d’état in 1959 by former King Mahendra, who was supported by the very people making a living from the automatic gains from extractive institutions.

King Mahendra ruled by an iron fist, subverted pluralism, and squelched inclusive institutions by promoting extractive political institutions that hovered around the palace.

This in turn supported extractive economic institutions (limited land rights, debt-ridden state-owned institutions or SOEs, inefficient family-owned businesses and uncompetitive big private sector players), leading to a situation where the few benefited at the cost of many.

Though the monarchy yielded executive powers to the democratically elected Parliament after 1990, it retained the final say, either directly or indirectly, on crucial matters.

This was challenged decisively during the decade-long bloody civil war, during which period the former King Gyanendra usurped power and filled in most of the executive positions by the same set of people who were against instituting inclusive institutions and governance structure.

The cosmetic changes in institutions where ultimately the same set of leaders, elites and businesses usurp power and restrain the march to prosperity if it affected their hold on wealth and power—leading to insignificant change in livelihoods—have been a hallmark of not only Nepal’s unsuccessful drive to prosperity, but also of fragile nations such as Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Myanmar, North Korea, Chad, Haiti, Liberia, Angola, and Sudan.

Though the intensity of extraction in Nepal is lesser than what is prevalent in other fragile nations, it has nevertheless affected the drive to attaining potential level of prosperity.

Worse, it has enabled accumulation of power in the hands of the same people who presided over the gradual institutional changes during different critical junctures in our history.

Path to prosperity

The path to prosperity for Nepal is to ensure genuinely inclusive political and economic institutions. At no point in Nepal’s history since its unification has there been truly inclusive political and economic institution that could create and promote the necessary base for a majority of people to increase wealth and income.

Equally importantly, there has never been sustainability of reformed institutions, however inclusive they were. Under inclusive economic institutions, wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a few elites as a broad range of people from different creeds, ethnicities and backgrounds could participate to better their lives, and boost wealth and income based on the returns to investment in whatever activity they engage in.

Under inclusive political institutions, power is distributed widely in a pluralistic manner, but it is also centralized to some degree to maintain law and order. Simultaneously, the foundations for secure property rights are distinctly laid out and inclusive market economy guaranteed.

Now, you must be wondering that there has been economic growth, albeit below 5 percent, even in the presence of extractive institutions. Well, the powerbrokers and power holders allowed some growth to take place by making institutions partially inclusive to ensure their own survival in a changed context.

For instance, though during the first and second waves of globalization (1870-1914 and 1945-1980 respectively), political and economic institutions did not wholly change in Nepal, they did change to some extent in select sectors to ensure the flow of income (from taxes and royalties) to extractors.

The opening of agriculture and state-sanctioned manufacturing activities helped generate growth below 5 percent. That said, the political sphere was tightly controlled by the elites manning Narayanhiti, Singha Durbar and various local-level political authorities.

The economic sphere was controlled by a handful of businesspersons who loathed open market and competition (think of the slew of bankrupt SOEs and monopoly power enjoyed by a few business houses) for fear of losing market power.

However, during the third wave of globalization (1980 onwards), a confluence of factors ranging from gradually developing momentum for global integration (think of the demand for imported goods, radio and television sets, vehicles, refrigerators, air and road connectivity, among others) to the shifting general perception about pitfalls of a closed economy and the compulsion to tailor economic policies as per developments in the Indian economy led to a situation where the extractive institutions could not fully control rents and income as they wished. It spurred greater degree of economic activities than before, but not of the full potential.

Creative destruction—which would result in further investment, efficient utilization of resources and innovation—was tightly controlled, as is evident from the reluctance to open up lucrative sectors to private players and in reviving debt-ridden, bankrupt SOEs. Consequently, Nepal is experiencing less than a potential growth rate under extractive institutions.

Critical juncture

When there are persistent challenges to existing political and economic institutions, resulting in gradual unbinding of power from the elites’ hands, then institutions drift from one phase to another. These drifts arising from the emergence of critical junctures— “major events that disrupt the existing political and economic balance”—and the course taken by countries at that point in time determines their acceleration on the path to prosperity.

The junctures are determined by a confluence of social, economic and political factors along with the existing opportunities and challenges brought about by changing contexts.

In England, the Black Death that killed almost half the population during the fourteenth century, the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and the opening of Atlantic trade resulted in a critical juncture for institutions to change.

These events gradually empowered the public and forced the monarchy to cede executive powers to the Parliament, which in turn created a basis for the emergence of virtuous cycle between inclusive political and economic institutions.

The result: the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century and the envious rise in living standard and military might of Britain. Contrary to the British case, Zimbabwe went backwards when it reached a critical juncture post-independence circa 1980, resulting in destitution and collapse of the once thriving economy.

In Nepal, we reached critical junctures in 1950, 1990 and 2006. In 1950 and 1990, the myopic vision of the elites and their penchant to stick to power along with the access to wealth that comes with it ensured continuity of extractive institutions in a bit concessionary terms (mainly due to the compulsion to liberalize the economy), resulting in growth and prosperity below potential. We missed two opportunities to create inclusive institutions.

Lately, the successful political revolution in 2006 is leading to sweeping changes in division of power, decentralization, and design of affirmative action, access to services, guarantee of rights, reservations, and identity.

However, there is a high chance that economically we could be either in the same or even in worse condition if these changes at this critical juncture are not matched with the creation and application of genuine inclusive economic and political institutions.

As of now, we are starting with the same economic base and agents but with heightened apprehension over extraction of wealth and income in the pretext of ‘fair distribution.’ It will stifle innovation, saving and investment.

Furthermore, though political composition and structure are changing, the core extractive nature of political institutions is not. The same leaders who failed the Nepali people are still controlling and will likely control the political discourse and powerhouses in the federal setup.

Worse, even the new leaders advocating pluralism might be unable and unwilling to change the way extractive political and economic institutions are functioning as they might get consumed by the allure of it while presiding over them at decisive moments.

Will Nepal succeed?

Yes, if the central and state-level leaders create genuinely inclusive political and economic institutions that lay the foundation for people to put their best abilities to action and benefit from it in terms of increased wealth and income.

Else, even stronger economic turbulence will strike the nation and a few elites from all creeds and backgrounds will hold power in their hands, benefiting financially at the cost of many people whose aspirations and expectations have skyrocketed lately.

Creating inclusive institutions in name only will not suffice. It has to be implemented, which means ceding of control by existing extractors belonging to the elite political and economic sections of our society, i.e., allowing creative destruction in both politics and business.

The fate of our prosperity lies not in our history, culture, geography (landlocked), or ignorance about the instruments of prosperity, but in our ability to create truly inclusive political and economic institutions.

However, attempting to engineer prosperity without tackling the root causes will render fruitless any cosmetic changes in the structure of power and rule by any group of people.

The writer is associated with South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment. Follow him on Twitter @ csapkota.

Destruction of a community

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Paurakhi Gaun, a slum by the Bagmati river in Thapathali, was destroyed a couple of days ago. A school in the community was also brought to the ground.

NEPALI GOVERNMENT DEMOLISHES

MECHI MAHAKALI SCHOOL

and PARUKHI GAUN VILLAGE, on 05.08.2012 6 am
1,000 PEOPLE NOW HOMELESS

250 HOMES DESTROYED

Read more (and see more images) at Namaste Kathmandu.

No Malware Here!

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:38:00 +0000

As I logged into RedNepal today, I got this message -

An image for RSS icon was used from the site cssglobe.com that was reported to have malware. The image is now removed and the site shouldn't have any problems - at least I didn't get any warning messages after removing the image from the aforementioned site.

Happy browsing everyone!

The Sadhu Baba Sutra

noreply@blogger.com (Mahayoddha) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:50:00 +0000

Jai Shambho! Jai Shivashankar!! Baba Bholenath ki Jaya!!! (praise to Lord Shiva)

When I was a kid, every time I heard these thunder-like-roars from the mysterious looking sadhus, draped in orange garments, having number of rudrakshya necklaces, long unkempt hair and ash smeared on their faces, I’d run to my mom and hide myself behind the pallu of her sari. My mom would give some food offering and gifts to them. In return, the sadhus would give us blessings and go on wandering in other houses or villages. Little did I know they were wandering for mokshya, the enlightenment.

A Sadhu is a general term that can be used for any ascetic, wandering holy man who has renounced the worldly life, given up possessions and families, and now leads a life of celibacy, ascetic yoga, and search of mokshya. Sadhus submit themselves to yogic exercises and meditation, ritual directed to the chosen deity, and study of religious texts. Some perform magical rituals to make contact with the gods, others practice intense forms of yoga and meditation to increase their spiritual powers and acquire mystic knowledge.

While some of the older sadhus reside permanently on the fringes of society, in maths (monasteries) or asrams (religious centers), younger sadhus spend several months a year travelling, many attending local religious festivals and important pilgrimage places across the Indian subcontinent. Some spread ashes on their body for the insulation from heat and cold, while the most radical test themselves by holding one arm in the air for years on end and or spending 24 hours a day standing up. Not all sadhus are enlightened. But believers regard them as holy anyway.

Sadhus try to resemble the gods. Although they can be divided into different sects, most follow either god Vishnu or Shiva. Among the sadhus, the Naga Babas are the militant renouncers who have renounced even their clothes. They are the followers of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and re-creation. In the 1994 book A River Sutra, Gita Mehta says that becoming a Naga Baba means overcoming human limitations. One can imagine the extent of their ascetic behavior. They walk about naked, symbolizing their renunciation of the world of mortals, and rub their body with ashes of their holy fires, symbolic of death and rebirth. They have extremely long hair (jata), again in emulation of Lord Shiva, whose long strands of hair are regarded as the ‘seat’ of his supernatural powers.

The consumption of hash is also considered to be a part of the rituals performed by Naga Babas. They hold the view that getting stoned out of their minds on a regular basis will lead them to eternity or nirvana. The purpose is a journey to a higher plane. Their behavior is also an emulation to Lord Shiva who is generally pictured meditating alone in the Himalayas, his eyes half closed from the effects of his hash habit. However, some sadhus don’t smoke. The perception of smoking hash goes a long way in explaining the Indian sub-continent’s governments’ lax attitude toward marijuana and hash. A lot of backpackers descent to India and Nepal each year, some of them lured by easily available cannabis and hash.

Although sadhus in general can be characterized as peace-loving, the Naga Babas used to be extremely militant, fighting with rivaling sects, the Muslims and later even the British. They were excellent fighters for they had no fear of death. Mehta’s fictional character of Naga Baba even claims that Naga Babas like him have yogic exercises to gain a physical prowess far exceeding any wrestler’s, hardened hands and feet that they could kill a man with a single blow, and practiced mind control that could disarm an opponent without touching them. That could be an exaggeration.

Donations are given to the sadhus—regarded as offerings to the gods—to get their blessing in return. The community supports these ascetics through food offerings and gifts. Because sadhus practice yoga, they are also believed to have extraordinary powers. So, occasionally, the ascetics will even give advice or religious teachings to those who seek his counsel. People may ask for their aid in overcoming local problems like drought. The most devout sadhus even march toward the bathing pool in the Ganges, Narmada or Bagmati where the water is considered holiest. Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims arrive in train, plane, bus or foot for the privilege of bathing in the Ganges during the Hindu religious festival known as the Kumbh Mela. The crowds are so massive that safety is a serious concern in the holy place.

When I got older and went to Pashupatinath Temple, one of the biggest Shiva temples in the Indian subcontinent, I saw sadhus sitting cross legged, lined up as they are on the road to mokshya. In an attempt to talk to them about mokshya, as I went near one of them, the chillam they held, their bloodshot eyes, funny smell of hash stopped me from interrupting their meditation. I said to my friend on the side, “Who knows they might open their ‘third eye’ and incinerate me just like Lord Shiva did to Kamadeva in the mythology of madana-bhasma.”

Stop "Politics of Hate"

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:39:00 +0000

From Ekantipur!

Owing to their lust for political power, some political leaders have resorted to dividing the nation in terms of ethnicities. While people on the ground rarely care about these issues, they are being imposed on them by the so-called fighters for the marginalized people, who are just a bunch of leaders from different political parties that never cared about those issues. There are also some educated fools like Jiyara Shah, a pseudonym of someone spreading hate through Facebook. It is a well-known fact that corrupt and irresponsible political leadership has made both the citizens of the hills and madhesh suffer. It is again these same incompetent leaders bringing up these divisive issues of ethnicity and hatred to cover up their failures and corruption. It is about time that we all start realizing this. Here's an article from Nepalitimes related to this issue.

This week, BBC Nepali ran a report about how Pahadi families who were displaced from the plains after the Madhes uprising were starting to come back. They had left their homes, neighbours and livelihoods to take refuge in the predominantly Pahadi town of Hetuada. Some had moved to Kathmandu, but could not adjust to the new life and longed for home.

I was immediately reminded of the Tamang and Chettri families I met in Bara four years ago. They spoke to each other in Bhojpuri, and their Nepali had a defined Madhesi accent. Their families had lived in the Tarai for generations and had grown up together. They had no home in the hills to go back to, had little idea of their ancestral roots and had decided to stay despite daily threats and intimidation by armed Madhesi groups.

I lost touch, and have often wondered what became of them. Did they leave, did they stay? But travelling to my own ancestral village in the eastern Tarai last month, I could see there is more holding Nepalis together than is setting us apart.

Here in the heart of the eastern Tarai, Pahadis and Madhesis have been living cheek to jowl for over a hundred years now. The Giris and Bharatis who came from the hills established a new settlement together with locals from nearby villages. A new village was formed, and over the years the two communities are so well integrated that unless one asks, they wouldn't know who is a Pahadi or who is Madhesi.

Of course, these stories don't count when leaders who claim to represent the Madhes spew hatred, threaten secession and blockades. They suggest the only way to right the wrongs committed against the Madhes is to scare away all the Pahadis from Tarai. It is this corrosive politics of hate and revenge that gets all the headlines in Kathmandu.

But here on the ground ask farmers and traders what concerns them the most, it is almost never politics or 'identity'. They are worried about the lack of roads and bridges, and where they exist, the terrible state they are in. They are worried about the rainy season, floods, the lack of irrigation and falling harvests and prices of their produce. They are worried about their sons toiling in the deserts of the Gulf, and the fields they will have to sell to pay the middleman to send their second son to Qatar.

When politics does touch them, it takes the shape of prolonged strikes that cripple life for weeks on end. They worry about federalism and what it will mean. Op-eds in Kathmandu's national media carry dire warnings from pundits about the coming Madhesi conflagration of anger, or a violent backlash if federalism is rejected. There is almost no sign of it here.

The people of the Madhes gave up hope long ago of their Madhesi leaders doing anything for them. There is disillusionment and a realisation that Madhesi leaders do not speak for the Madhesi people. Madhesis are now in the government with powerful portfolios, the deputy prime minister and home minister are Madhesis. But what have these leaders done except split countless times, make short-lived alliances to blackmail their way into government and issue empty threats just so that they can remain politically relevant?

The Madhes is how it has always been: left to itself. And the people of the Tarai have come to terms with it. No one wants another uprising, they just want development and jobs. Madhesi leaders would want us to believe that all the problems of the plains, the inequality, injustice and state neglect will be resolved once they have a Madhesi federal state. But few here hold out much hope.

Madhesi people want better leaders, not this discredited bunch who defected from the NC and rode the wave of the Madhes Movement in 2007. Madhesis want to be respected, and treated like Nepalis. They want an end to the criminalisation of politics. Anyone who thinks otherwise, like a village elder here told me, hasn't lived here long enough.

Yet Another Haadi Gaun ko Jatra

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 04:52:00 +0000

Continuing the glorious tradition of expending state resources for useless activities, a new decision by the cabinet led by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has announced a financial support of NPR 20 million to Prachanda's son and his team's ascent to Everest. After waving the mountaineering royalty each member on the team had to pay, the government found it necessary to support this stupid expedition by providing a financial support of NPR 20 million. However, the trip is supposed to ensure a timely constitution and peace in the country (so we should be excited about the trip?) - What a joke, right?

Here is the article from MyRepublica.

Despite its avowal to adopt strict austerity measures in government spending, the Baburam Bhattarai-led cabinet has decided to provide Rs 20 million to a Mt Everest Expedition team that includes son of UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

A cabinet meeting at Singha Durbar Friday morning decided to release the amount to the expedition named Lumbini-Sagarmatha Campaign.

The 11-member expedition purportedly meant for timely peace and a new statute has members from various sister organizations of the Maoist party including Chairman Dahal´s ex-bodyguards.

Sources said Dahal had long been pressuring Prime Minister Bhattarai to release Rs 30 million for the expedition. The cabinet on Friday took the decision, acting on a ´direct proposal´ from Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lokendra Bista Magar.

The expedition will be lead by Maoist Central Committee member Krishna KC and Chairman Dahal´s son Prakash will be co-leader. Other members of the team include PLA brigade commanders Saral Sahayatri Paudel and Yuvaraj Dulal, Shiva Dangi of the Kochila State Committee and Maheshwor Phuyal of Newa State Committee.

Maoist affiliated ANNISU-R Central Committee member Madan Chudal, prime minister´s official photographer Dinesh Shrestha, Free Student Union President at Saraswati Campus Bina Magar and Maoist student leader Ishu Bhattarai are also among members of the expedition.

Sources said the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has already agreed to waive the total mountaineering royalty of $110,000, ($10,000 for each member) for the Maoist team.

The decision comes in stark contrast to the commitment made by Prime Minister Bhattarai, who rides a Nepal-assembled Mustang Max, to observe austerity. Bhattarai flew economy class during his trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

Earlier, the Jhala Nath Khanal-led cabinet last year had given Rs 30 million for a 15-member civil servants´ Everest Expedition under the banner of Nepal´s national tourism campaign ´Nepal Tourism Year 2011´. The expedition of civil servants can in no way be compared with the one being led by KC, argued former minister for tourism and civil aviation Pradip Gyawali.

Gyawali, who is also spokesperson of the CPN-UML, said the government had given limited financial support in some exceptional cases such as woman expedition member Pasang Lama Sherpa, oldest climber Min Bahadur Sherchan and civil servants who wanted to boost the morale of the civil service as a whole.

“But this expedition is purely a political mission comprising Maoists cadres. This is naked misuse of the national treasury. It has no justification,” he said.

The government´s decision has also drawn flak from other political parties including ruling ones.

Main opposition party Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa satirically asked Prime Minister Bhattarai to allocate an additional Rs 1 billion for Everest expeditions. “I humbly request the prime minister to allocate an additional Rs 1 billion for Mt Everest climbs. Many other Nepali youths are willing to climb Everest with all enthusiasm for the sake of timely peace and statute,” he said.

Joint General Secretary of ruling Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Jitendra Sonar said the allocation of such a huge amount for the expedition is gross misuse of state coffers.

“It´s not bad to climb Everest in the name of peace and statute. But the large amount that has been released by the government is in no way appropriate and justifiable for a poor country like Nepal,” he said.

Meanwhile, NC-affiliated Nepal Tarun Dal (NTD) in a statement denounced the government´s decision. NTD while asking the government to immediately revoke the decision has warned of stringent protests if the decision is not revoked.

Likewise, CPN-UML affiliated Youth Association Nepal (YAN) staged protests in the capital demanding that the government immediately withdraw the decision.

According to YAN Secretary Rachana Khadka, they staged protest rally at Baneshwor Chowk. “We will unveil further protest programs if the decision is not revoked. This is a misuse of state coffers,” she said.

YCL protests PLA decision

Agitating leaders of Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) have expressed strong reservation over the decision of the Maoists´ PLA General Staff meeting to provide Rs 1.4 million -- Rs 200,000 each from seven PLA divisions -- for the Mount Everest bid.

PLA Chief Nanda Kishor Pun had announced the support during a meeting of PLA commanders, YCL leaders and top Maoist leaders. YCL leaders have protested the decision arguing that someone climbing Mount Everest would not help ensure peace and new constitution.

“Instead of addressing genuine concerns of YCL and providing support to party cadres, the PLA has decided to provide money for useless purpose,” said YCL Limbuwan State Committee Vice Coordinator Indra Angbuhang. “This is not acceptable to us.”

´Expedition for peace, statute´

The government´s decision to allocate Rs 20 million for your expedition has come under fire. What´s your say on the protests against the decision?

I don´t know why the government´s decision is being protested. There is no point in protesting the government decision. We had asked the tourism ministry to allocate the amount.

How much had you demanded for the expedition?

We had demanded a total of Rs 30 million.

But some are arguing that your father [Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal] exerted pressure on the prime minister to release the amount.

It is cent percent false. We had just informed the prime minister about our expedition. This could be an attempt to defame the Maoist chairman and me.

But how did the media come to know that the Maoist chairman had exerted pressure on the prime minister?

We had received our certificates from Prime Minister Bhattarai in Baluwatar after our successful ascent of Lamtang. He had then assured us of help. The prime minister was very happy. But as some of his aides were not happy about the prime minister´s assurance to help us, they gave false information to the media. The rumors have been solely designed to defame the chairman and me.

What do you say on the protests?

It is absolutely not necessary. We are going to climb Mount Everest for the country and its people to ensure peace and new constitution.

But how will your expedition ensure peace and constitution in the country?

We are going to climb Mount Everest risking our lives. We don´t know whether we will be able to return safely. But it will exert pressure on the parties to conclude the peace process and promulgate the new constitution on time.

बा आउनुभएको छैन

noreply@blogger.com (Mahayoddha) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:41:00 +0000

by Siddhicharan Shrestha
The poem still resonates with the voices of the general Nepalis who are screaming for yet another kind of freedom and another kind of hope. This year is Shrestha's centennial birth anniversary.

पानी परिरहेछ,

हावा चलिरहेछ,

समयले अबेर ओढि सक्यो,

बत्ती बलिसक्यो,

भात पाकिसक्यो,

आमा कराउनु भैरहेछ-

बा आउनुभएको छैन ।

युग बद्लिइसक्यो,

राणा ढलिसक्यो,

भन्दछ जन्जिर टुटिसक्यो,

अझ पनि आजादी आएको छैन

प्रगति आएको छैन

प्रजातन्त्र आएको छैन

आमा कराउनु भैरहेछ-

बा आउनुभएको छैन ।

हाम्रो बिचारको घुयत्रोले

हाम्रो कल्पनाको बज्रले

अन्धकारको टाउको फुटिसक्यो

अझ पनि नया बिहान आएको छैन

नया युग आएको छैन

आमा कराउनु भैरहेछ-

बा आउनुभएको छैन ।

The Nation I Saw - Photo Essay

noreply@blogger.com (Mahayoddha) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 06:19:00 +0000

As I woke up one fine morning, in my bed, in my hometown, Mahendranagar, Nepal, I stared at the ceiling I had stared all my childhood and asked, "Where had I been all this time?"

Going home after four years, I became an instant hit in my family and among friends. I never ran out of anecdotes and stories from my experiences of a fabled country far far away. Meanwhile, as I would get flanked by friends or relatives or my family, a sudden realization was besieging my senses. I was closely observing each tradition, each belief system and ideology that my own society and the nation was ingrained in.

And I was questioning a lot of them.

Plato’s allegory of the cave was making perfect sense. To compare my experience with this cunning theory, the country had been the cave and before coming to the US for further studies, I was a prisoner, I concluded. My shackles had restrained me to see nothing but the shadows being shown to me on the wall right in front of me. Then when I left the country, I escaped the bondage and went to see the sun and the outside world. Now back to other prisoners in my cave, I was trying to explain that the shadows were not real and that there is a real world beyond the cave. Too bad, many of my ideas were not making any sense to some.

For some time my own culture and tradition looked strange to me after adapting to the lifestyle in the US for such a long time. I would often question, "So which culture does make more sense?" But the art, beauty and the aesthetical value in my own culture had never looked so amazing. "This is where everything started," I often said to myself.

We take a lot of things for granted, don't we? Parents, money, culture, tradition, country. However, as we go far away and see all these, then we obtain a reference, a standard. Then we start observing all these small differences that we never really cared for. And here i was, in front of a couple dozen students at my alma mater, telling this. But for most of them, nothing made sense.

Being from a small town far away from the capital, Kathmandu, gave me opportunities to see parts of the country that the media rarely show. As I traveled, I had not forgotten to take with me my camera to capture the nation and people I saw.

Traveling, meeting relatives and friends, eating food i had missed for so many years, and taking pictures was how my time glided by. A whole month was gone with the wind, and was ready for yet another journey in a land far far away. Like Shrek, I was reluctant to go.

For photo essay, please click here.

Should Prachanda lead Project Lumbini?

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:13:00 +0000

(Picture from UNESCO)

The Associated Press published the following news report today.

Hundreds of Buddhists demonstrated in Nepal's capital to protest the appointment of Maoist party chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal to head a project to develop the area where Buddha was believed born in southern Nepal.

The 500 demonstrators included monks and nuns holding banners saying there should not be any political involvement in the project to develop Lumbini, located 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Katmandu.

The government recently appointed Dahal as the head of national committee for development of Lumbini. Maoist fought government troops until 2006 when they entered a peace process. The fighting left more than 13,000 people dead.

I agree with the demonstrators that choosing someone from the political arena isn't a good thing for the project. The noble work of upgrading and developing Lumbini's infrastructures will be mired with political bickering. Someone like Ani Choying Dolma, or someone else, who is actually a Buddhist and has contributed to the Buddhist community in Nepal should lead the project in my view. What do you think?

Rare antique video of King Mahendra's Visit to England

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:40:00 +0000

Late King Mahendra visits England with wife Ratna and is greeted by Queen Elizabeth of England in this video. A classic video from the past. You can also see Late King Birendra in this video - he looks so young.

Like and share this video if you enjoyed it.

The Disillusioned Soldier - A Documentary on Nepal's Maoist Soldiers by Al Jazeera

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:27:00 +0000

Behind the statistics on the Maoist soldiers, who many educated Nepalis despise, there are real people like us that have led hard lives and probably have much suffering to endure. It is probably the ordinary rural folks who will pay the highest price of these wars as this documentary shows. They are almost always used as pawns, and the top Maoist leadership seems to be no exception. Contrary to the Maoist's initial claims, this video also shows that there are ex-fighters in the Young Communist League (YCL) - a semi-guerrilla Maoist youth wing.

Al Jazeera concludes - "This film is a reminder of the people who fought for the Maoists and why they did it."

Subina Shrestha's has a write-up in the Al Jazeera website on this issue. Click here to read it.

US Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi on Hybrid Seeds in Nepal

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:04:00 +0000

Scott H. DeLisi, the US ambassador to Nepal, wrote and posted an interesting article on his Facebook page. Here's the article.

There has been considerable discussion of late about US agricultural development strategy in Nepal, Monsanto, and hybrid seeds. I'd like to set the record straight. Before addressing the specifics, however, I would like to highlight our strongly held belief that the critical discussion is not about the role of a single company but about the future of agricultural development in Nepal. If anything, the recent debates about Monsanto have led me to believe that what is truly needed is a carefully considered, fact-based policy dialogue among agriculturalists, agronomists, government officials and all other stakeholders on the best course for this nation, as a food-deficit country, when it comes to addressing the fundamental issues of food security and improved livelihoods for farmers across the nation.

Regarding our policy, let me begin by emphasizing that President Obama's Feed the Future initiative in Nepal reflects a determined commitment on the part of the US Government to work with the Government and people of Nepal on the vital issues of food security and agricultural development. That will not change.

Secondly, let me be equally clear that ours is a partnership that supports the vision and direction of the Government of Nepal. To be successful, we believe that our programs must have government engagement and commitment and reflect governmental priorities. Without the Government of Nepal's support for the proposal that Monsanto will provide assistance and agricultural extension services to farmers using hybrid seeds, USAID will not move forward independently to fund such a program. If the government decides that such an educational partnership is desirable, however, we will be prepared to move forward with a well-designed and carefully considered program.

I also want to emphasize, however, that while looking at seed technology to enhance agricultural productivity is important, it is only a small component of our food security partnership with the government. We are supporting organic production, working with farmers on irrigation techniques, better nursery programs for seedlings, and better insect control. We are, for example, working with farmers in the mid-hills on diversifcation of crop production to show them that instead of making 5,000 rupees from a half hectare of maize in monsoon season they can generate 130,000 rupees from best-practice irrigated vegetable farming during the same period. My request and my intent is to keep our discussion focused on what makes sense for Nepal's development, for farmers' livelihoods, for the economy and for the future and to not let it be diverted by those for whom focusing on a single company is more important than addressing Nepal's food security concerns or long-term agricultural development strategies.

With that in mind, let me try to frame as cleary as possible the focus of our efforts as well as the reasons we're puzzled by some of the issues being raised. First, I have urged before, and I emphasize again, the importance of being clear about the true issues we are discussing. Yesterday there was yet another op-ed that spoke about "GMO" maize. I am not aware of any GMO maize being grown in Nepal not has it been approved by the government, nor are there any proposals on the part of USAID or anyone else that I know to introduce it. This careless use of terminology only clouds the issues. There are very important differences between hybrids and GMO seeds and, although there can and should be dialogue about both, we need to be clear about what we are talking about.

I have also seen many Facebook posts and press statements that talk about "stopping" the introduction of hybrid maize into Nepal. There was another such statement today. These statements puzzle me, however, as they seem to ignore the current realities in agriculture here in Nepal. The Government of Nepal began researching the use of hybrid seed varieties in 1987 and today, approximately 75% of tomatoes, cauliflower, and many other vegetables in Nepal are grown from hybrid seed. The Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) has also approved sixteen maize hybrids for sale in Nepal. Many of the approved varieties come from Monsanto, and four of them have been sold commercially here since 2004.

It is also worth nothing that 80% of mazie produced in the Terai is grown from hybrid seed and 10% of maize grown in the mid hills is also from hybrid seed. It is also the case that Nepal's maize production falls far short of demand and the nation imports tremendous quantities of maize (primarily hybrid varieties grown in India) each year at considerable expense to the national budget. Thus, if the goal of the debate is to "stop" the introduction of hybrids, it would seem that there is need for further education on the current agricultural realities and practices by the nation's farmers.

If the goal is instead to limit the further spread of hybrid use, then there clearly is need for further discussion as well, given that every year the use of hybrid seed in Nepal is growing, with seed availability not keeping pace with demand. This, I would add, is also a problem, as it leads to black market seed being introduced, not all of which is NARC-approved varieties that are tailored to Nepal's climate, soil and agricultural environment.

Several American and Indian companies sell the approved hybrid seed varieties in Nepal in response to the current - and increasing - market demand for them. There are also discussions of Nepali companies either developing their own hybrid lines or acquiring rights from companies like Monsanto for the parental lines of currently used hybrids. As noted earlier, however, I believe that those who want to focus the discussion to either a single company, or to the commercial hybrid seed providers in general, miss the key concern. What is important is that decision makers and stakeholders bring the focus of the debate back to the core question: the appropriate role of hybrids as part of a comprehensive strategy for Nepal's agricultural development. To single out Monsanto, or any other company, serves no useful purpose in this discussion and distracts from the critical issues to be addressed.

The simple fact is that Nepal's agricultural productivity across the board is low - very low. Meanwhile, the population is growing, while the amount of arable land is at best static but may be decreasing due to urbanization. This imbalance puts the food security of the entire nation in jeopardy. Malnutrition and under nutrition remain serious problems, undermining the health and affecting the future of Nepali children. In my view, these are issues that must be discussed soberly and carefully. These are the issues we want to work with the people and the government to address.

There are those who also argued against hybrids on the grounds that they lead to a massive increase in the use of chemical fertilizer. Although I am not an expert, I have learned enough to know that there are many different views on that topic, even if not all of them are getting broad exposure in the current public discussion. I would urge that there be a more informed examination of all the issues, bearing in mind that the debate about fertilizer is not unique to the use of hybrid seed varieties. The use of fertilizer, deemed by so many of this nation's farmers to be an essential input for increased production, is just as much a factor in the production of open pollinated variety (OPV) maize as it is in hybrid production. Equally, despite suggestions by some to the contrary, hybrid seed varieties can be grown organically, can be fertilized with cow manure rather than chemicals, and will still produce increased yeilds compared to many OPV seeds.

When looking at the discussion to date, I also feel a degree of concern that it does not seem to reflect the views we hear expressed by the farmers who work the fields. For example, we know there are over 20,000 farmers in the Terai and the mid-hills who are eager to either expand their use of hybrids or participate in a trial in which Monsanto would provide agricultural extension services, education and other support. Their voices need to count in this debate as well. We also know that hybrid use is a reality in Nepal and is growing each year. The farmers who are making the choice to use hybrids and who depend on those crops for their livelihood need to be part of this discussion. If Nepali agriculture practice is indeed moving towards the increased use of hybrids, then it is important to ensure that the best agricultural practices are used and that farmers have the support and training they tell us they want and need to use hybrid seeds effectively.

Although I believe there are many related issues that warrant discussion by and among Nepalis as you shape your agricultural future, I again urge that, as you do so, you seek to separate fact from fiction. Hear ALL sides of the discussion and recognize that there are many views and competing considerations. For example, there are those who repeatedly posit as absolute fact that the maize crop failures in 2009 were due to hybrid seeds. There are experts, however, including in the Government of Nepal, who will tell you that the problem was a weather-related issue (extreme cold) that affected OPV maize as well as hybrid.

Other opponents of hybrid seeds argue that hybrids encourage dependence and are part of a new form of economic imperialism by the developed world. I disagree, but at the end of the day what I believe is not important. Nepalis must make that decision for themselves. I urge, however, that you listen not just to the foes but that you give just as much consideration to the voice of the farmer who argues that greater productivity and increased incomes stemming from hybrid use can improve his life and the future of his children while transforming agriculture in Nepal.

The bottom line? Let facts, not conjecture, emotion or misinformation, inform this important debate. Encourage a robust public discussion with experts on agriculture as well as the farmers who would be the most affected by the decisions, and be wary of any voices that offer only one side of the issue.
Finally, I would add that these issues are not unique to Nepal. Weigh the evidence and recommendations of the many experts who have discussed these same concerns as part of the global debate on food security. We all must come to terms with the inevitable tensions between balancing many competing concerns as the global community struggles with the question of how to feed an ever-growing world population with diminishing agricultural resources. This is one of the true challenges of our generation.

Our partnership with Nepal in development is now 60 years old. It has been driven in part by our sincere commitment to helping your government to meet the health and nutritional needs of the population so that your citizens will be better able to build a prosperous and democratic future for Nepal. That commitment and partnership will not change whatever course you and your government choose in terms of the nation's agricultural development. But I do believe that these issues have too long been neglected in the public discourse. I hope that the discussion we have seen in recent weeks can, and will, evolve into a much-needed examination of the broader questions to be answered for the future of agricultural development in Nepal.

To comment on his write-up in Facebook and see the discussion that's going on there, please click here.

Sagar Thapa's 35-meter Goal Against Bangladesh

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:23:00 +0000

Sagar Thapa shot a truly epic goal against Bangladesh in Nepal's Group B match against Bangladesh. Thapa, who plays a defender, shot a 35-yard free kick right into the post in the last 60 seconds of injury time.

There is already a Facebook group seeking to nominate Sagar Thapa for a FIFA award.. Join the group and help spread the word.

Sagar Thapa scored "once-in-a-life-time" goal in the 95th minute against Bangladesh in SAFF Championship 2011. For the beauty, accuracy, and timing of this goal, it deserves to be one of the top 10 nominee for FIFA Puskás (goal of the year) Award 2012.

Brazil's Ronaldinho had scored a similar goal in the FIFA 2002 World Cup. This video compares the goals by Ronaldinho and Sagar Thapa.

Here's the video of the goal from the game.

Lastly, this video shows the full highlights of the game.

Video investigation of Nepal's growing sex industry

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:06:00 +0000

Sagarmatha Television's Crime Watch investigates how the production of porn movies is rising in Nepal. Even though earlier such movies were made only by foreigners, who came to Nepal and recorded their sexual encounters without the knowledge of the sex workers they were having sex with. However the trend is changing in Nepal now as this investigation shows. Specifically currently there are:

- 25 Nepali professional porn movies made so far.
- More than 500 amateur porn movies in the cell-phones of Nepali youth.

The funny thing is that throughout the video they talk of how this is illegal. Towards the end, they post the web address, like an advertisement, of a Nepali porn site that is claimed to have more than 6.6 million page views in a month. Posted below is the video report.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

The Red idiot thinks that the real reason for the spike in amateur sex movies made in Nepal are Chinese cell-phones. They're pretty cheap and have a camera. Quality is crappy but who cares. Nepal's government should try banning cheap cell phones. :P

Share Love Today

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:01:00 +0000

From Amazon

CHRISTIAN THE LION is the story of a zoo-born lion cub purchased by two young men one Christmas at Harrod's Department store. They hand-raised the cub in London until he grew so large they knew he couldn't remain in London. This wonderful documentary was produced by the makers of "Born Free" to finance Christian's journey from England to east Africa and his introduction to life in the wild. It chronicles not only this major change in his life, but also the lasting and loving bond formed with his human "family." Clips from this film have circulated on the internet showing the remarkable and touching reunion of Christian with the men who raised him as a cub. The clips have also appeared on several TV shows.

Here's the video:

The exciting office in Kathmandu

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:04:00 +0000

This was originally posted in EKantipur and was authored by Benjamin Graham.

On this particular morning, the office is empty. Like any office in Kathmandu, there are desks, a small tea station, computers, a printer and a conference room. But unlike most offices in Kathmandu, the space isn’t home to a single company. It’s home to several.

On a regular day, the desks at Biruwa Ventures, this 1500 square foot shared office space located in Baluwatar, are occupied by a litany of young people working on various projects. Some are start-up companies; some are single-man IT companies. One entrepreneur even runs a hydropower project in the Khumbu region from here when he’s in town.

“It’s challenging for a young person to start a company in Nepal,” Vidhan Rana and Abhinab Basnyat, the founders of Biruwa, tell me over a cup of tea in the conference room. They started Biruwa in August, after returning to Nepal from extended stays studying and working in the US. The goal, they explain, is to incubate young entrepreneurs and their ideas.

The World Bank recently ranked Nepal 107 out of 183 countries on ‘ease of doing business’ indicators. Outside of international trade barriers, a significant part of the ranking was based on the difficulties of starting a new business in Nepal. It can take months to register a company with the government, and even longer to receive an official stamp—necessary for all official business transactions. But it’s not just the hoops that entrepreneurs must jump through that make starting a business difficult, it’s also the culture.

“In Nepal, people avoid taking risks when it comes to business,” Rana says. “The most popular method is to copy someone else’s business plan.” While his background is in finance and marketing, Rana says the evidence for this phenomenon can even be seen in the restaurant industry, where many eateries take their names and menus from other already-established restaurants.

“People tend to be pessimistic about new business ideas. Family and friends will warn you that you’ll lose money if you try to start something on your own,” Basnyat says. As a result, university graduates tend to gravitate towards more proven occupational paths, seeking jobs with NGOs or banks, while others move abroad to earn Master’s Degrees.

That’s part of the reason Rana and Basnyat have decided to offer a variety of services at Biruwa. Aside from the rented office space, entrepreneurs can get one-on-one mentoring and an assortment of other business services, anything from a lawyer to an accountant to a graphic designer; whatever a start-up needs to get off the ground.

Similarly, the business plan for the office space is flexible. A desk can be rented for Rs 400 a day, 2,000 a week, 6,000 a month or 60,000 a year. Each renter receives access to a speedy internet connection with 24-hour backup electricity and a wireless printer.

While we’re the only ones in the office this early on a Sunday, one company that has been renting office space for the past three weeks is on the roof taking staff photos. The company, OneSeed, is a joint venture trekking organisation founded by Chris Baker, an American, and Tek Dong and Bishnu Thapa, both Nepalis. They, along with six of their newly hired guides, are posing for headshots for their website.

“The best thing about working out of this office has been the attitude,” Baker says, before lining up for his own photo. “It’s all about what you can do, not what you can’t.”

For OneSeed, the moral support and collaborative atmosphere of the office is appreciated. Their business plan is unique and as of yet, unproven. 10 percent of their total income will go into an investment fund, which will contribute to microfinance projects in the Kathmandu Valley. Additionally, their guides will be provided with profit sharing, comprehensive insurance and a salary, rather than paid by the trip, and all of their partner lodges along the trail have to meet a series of stringent environmental standards.

“Working from here is cheaper than working at a coffee shop,” says Baker. “And I’ve found that some of the most exciting conversations I’ve had in Nepal have come over coffee in Biruwa.”

Rana and Basnyat hope to harness some of the ideas that come out of these conversations. The last stage of their plan for Biruwa is to set up a venture capitalist fund through which they can finance some of these start-ups.

“Every morning we sit and come up with ideas. We’re looking for people to take leads, and to enable people to act on their own ideas,” Basnyat says.

Red Photo of the Past

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:27:00 +0000

Recognize these faces?

Prachanda, the President of CPN Maoists (United), and Baburam Bhattarai, the current Prime Minister of Nepal, with their wives - Sita Dahal (right of Prachanda), and Hishila Yami (left of Baburam). This photo was taken just before the Maoist historic Chuwang Meeting during the insurgency.

Lex in Nepal: with Namrata Shrestha

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:55:00 +0000

For those, who don't know, Lex is a Nepali blogger and entertainer based in the UK. He created a few videos in Nepal, when he went back to spend the past summer. The first of the six videos of the series was released yesterday. It is a candid talk with one of the rising stars of Nepali cinema - Miss Namrata Shrestha, who is making a comeback.

Here is the talk :

Translation : Woods by Laxmi Prasad Devkota

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Kritish Rajbhandary, a senior English major from Nepal at Reed College, loves translating Nepali poems. Below is a poem, written by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, that Kritish translated. Share this poem if you like it :).

Woods (वन)

by Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Shedding tears amidst the woods of life;

Found not things my heart sought, among the rife.

Tear filled eyes suffering over broken hope;

Whence from this pain comes, where did else it rove.

Greed, masqueraded as sedulous charm,

Spoke showing gemstones, "Why your tears so warm?

"Your queen I'll be, in Palace of luxury"

"Morrow", said I, "dust and ash this will be."

Kuber said, "Work for me, I'll make you rich.

My servants sleep on a bed golden each"

I said, "Lord of wealth, your worth, I realize,

But priceless freedom of spirit is what I prize"

With golden crown on head, came coaxing Fame

"Follow me, brother, miss not this scheme.

"With neat outfit you come; be made renown."

I said, "I'll wear rags, but in truth I ground."

"I offer sweet apples.", Mighty Love stirred.

I said, "Serving mankind is my elixir."

Sage said, "Hold Samadhi, you'll see heaven."

I said, "I have my brothers to attend."

Indra said, "Rich is Heaven, full of light"

I asked to let me make the World all bright.

Said Pain, "Thorns prick" I said, "Flowers shall bloom."

Said Doubt, "Flowers wilt" I said, "They're well groomed"

Life said, "Gruesome War ! " I said, "Warrior's glad !"

Struggle said, "Hills ! " Said I "Aim's heaven's hat !"

Compassion said with warmth, "Why, then, you cry?”

I said, "I serve Mankind, but Time is shy"

"Who are your friends? Who go with you? Which land is your home?

What place do you seek, Traveler? With what news do you roam?"

"My friend is decent diligence. Courage comes with me.

All world's my home. To heart-land I roam with hues of Humanity"

Entrepreneurs for Nepal

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:57:00 +0000

This article highlights a few points about the role of entrepreneurs in transforming Nepal. It is freely sharable, and editable. Please go here if you want to edit the document. Ujwal Thapa, and Prasanna Dhungel wrote the initial piece, now it is your turn to make a contribution.

How will Entrepreneurs transform Nepal ?
An Entrepreneur creates opportunities not just for himself but more importantly for others. In Nepal, this is even more important as we have a high number of unemployed Nepalis and opportunities are limited to a privileged few.

There is an ongoing joke in Nepal, that if we produce a politician, we destroy 100 jobs, whereas if we create an entrepreneur, we create 100 jobs. On a serious note, this is why many youths should turn to entrepreneurship as the engine of their personal, professional and soulful growth. We need not look far to realize how entrepreneurship has transformed our neighbors, China and India. A responsible government would bet on producing and helping more entrepreneurs than on anything else.
Here are few ways Entrepreneurs will transform Nepal-

Entrepreneurs solve problems in Nepal
We hear of so many problems in Nepal. Listen to news, and you will hear problems left and right. Entrepreneurs view these problems as opportunities and solve problems for all of us to have a nicer life in Nepal. In the process of solving problems, they create jobs and positivism and efficiency in the economy. Today, many have become dependent on foreign aid and the government to solve our problems. Entrepreneurs don’t wait and will not allow others to solve problems. They grab the opportunity, try to solve it and find a sustainable way to do this (business). Imagine a future in which each Nepali is hungry for problems and jumps to solve each and every problem in our society and makes a business out of it. We could become a very different society.

Entrepreneurs create jobs that benefit low-income families in Nepal
As an entrepreneur, you may help a struggling Nepali family directly, lifting them from poverty simply by creating ‘jobs’. The employment you generate and the salary you pay , helps towards the betterment of local economy, i.e small shops, farmers, schools, groceries and local towns. You help the local eco-system by the wealth you generate for others. This in turn helps generate a positive cycle of employment. You help continue this positive cycle of growth even as a small entrepreneur. A small Information technology (IT) business I opened has helped generate employment for 100s of college students, many of whom were earning for for the first time for their families.

Entrepreneurs creates platforms/ecosystems in Nepal
As an entrepreneur, you will be creating not just one small business but over the course of time build it into a platform, an eco-system so that others can build their own businesses around yours. Thamel became Thamel when businesses started to bloom, servicing around one Hotel, Kathmandu Guest house.

So you will be helping create opportunities for others too, by creating this as a by-product of building their ventures. When we started Digital Max Solutions, we never thought our employees would go on to start 14 other similar businesses. As a result of an entrepreneur, an industry of like-minded entrepreneurs came into being. Do not under-estimate the power of entrepreneurship to change the world.

Entrepreneurs raise dignity of Nepalis
When we get the opportunity to work in our own country, utilizing materials and human power here and export them, rather than having to leave afar, we become dignified individuals ourselves. It raises our family’s self-esteem, our children's self-esteem. Entrepreneurs create dignified jobs and dignified professionals as their employees. Entrepreneurship is not about exploiting people. It is about empowering people so that they help run their business better. Hari Bhakta Sharma has scaled his pharmaceuticals company - Deurali Janata - by successfully providing dignified employment and opportunity to work in a place which makes life-saving medicines at affordable prices for the poor.

Entrepreneurs remove the gap between rich and poor in Nepal
A strange statement? Well many confuse entrepreneurs with traditional traders, monopolistic business houses or even evil rich people. Till now in Nepal, the power and wealth has been restricted to a few traditional elites. They earn their wealth, thus power, not by being entrepreneurial on fair competition but by abusing their power, access, status and restricting other Nepalis wish to becoming an entrepreneur. They stifle innovation and growth and encourage practices that benefit just themselves. So they are not entrepreneurs. In-fact, when entrepreneurs come into the equation, they in-fact break monopolies and barriers created by these traditional power elites. The fact that entrepreneurs can come from any background, tribes, age, status is powerful way to transform society from status-quo to progress.

For economic equality and prosperity in Nepal, we need not more politicians or job seekers but more entrepreneurs who rise from obscurity, cutting across tribes, economic past, castes and age. In other words, that entrepreneur can be you. If we are looking for the profound changes we want to see here, help yourself become an Entrepreneur. Take the example of Rudra Pandey, the founder of D2Hawkeye. He comes from a simple humble background in remote Nepal, rose through sheer hard work and ambition, started and grew D2Hawkeye into a powerhouse. He grew the firm to a global healthcare analytics firm and helped put Nepal on the map of world class companies. Many Nepalese have taken inspiration from him and are trying entrepreneurship in Nepal and outside in their own ways.

Entrepreneurs creates positive cultures
"Yes we can"- This is the feeling that prosperity brought by Entrepreneurship evokes. It improves the self confidence of all Nepalis. With this positive attitude, it helps replace the current "blame-game" culture of “yestai ho”, “ke garne” attitude in which we are stuck and can’t seem to create a win-win situation in villages and towns across Nepal. It helps usher us towards a fair meritocratic culture in which every Nepali, irrespective of background, gains the attitude - ‘yes, I can achieve my dreams.’
Positive culture in Nepal is essential if we want to create an economically equal, fair, accountable, responsible society. And as an entrepreneur, you will be helping us achieve this much faster than any other professional. Prithivi Pande, current CEO of Nepal Investment Bank, was responsible for creating a a positive culture trend in the Banking sector. Many of the current heads of Financial institutions in Nepal have worked with him and followed his lead to be successful bankers themselves.

So how will YOU benefit as an entrepreneur in Nepal?

1) A dignified status
Nepal has changed. Now your peers, your followers and many Nepalis will regard an entrepreneur as a leader. And some will even think of you as a visionary. They will read about you, hear about you and follow your steps. You will be inspiring the next generation of Nepalis to become innovative entrepreneurs and help create great entrepreneurial centers right here in Nepal like the Silicon Valley in the United States. Entrepreneurs like Anil Chitrakar, Karna Shakya, Ambika Shrestha, Min Bahadur Gurung are respected, admired and thanked for the opportunities they have created in Nepal.

2) A comfortable life
In Nepal, an entrepreneur's life is much more comfortable as your ability to succeed is higher because there is less competition here. Once you are successful, you carry great leverage. As an entrepreneur, you can leverage your success to have access to more opportunities to work on a bigger level, may it be with the government or on bigger lucrative projects.

3) A satisfying life
The satisfaction of having helped many will be extremely gratifying for your soul. In Nepal, you can actually see your effects directly. Leading an honest life as an entrepreneur and providing for others - what a satisfying way to live here than in the already developed country where your impact may be minimal compared to here. A small example, when Ujwal started one small IT company, it have helped created 100s of professionals and through the decade, inspired 14 other Nepalis to become entrepreneurs creating further opportunities and innovation in the IT industry. How best to help others - by innovating a fishing industry, not just teaching how to fish, or worse just giving them fish.

4) Live your life
As an entrepreneur, you can live your life passionately, not your parent's life, or your friend's or your spouse’s, but yours. I believe this is one of the best ways to live where you decide on your path. In other words, you lead a passionate life. As an entrepreneur, I have enough time and energy to follow my different passions in life, to experiment on projects and to mentor others. It allows me to make time for myself and my family while finding ways to serve the society better.

Uhile ko Nepal (Nepal of the Past): A Documentary by Tony Hagen

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:27:00 +0000

This documentary by Tony Hagen is pretty awesome - shows how pristine Nepal was in the 1950's. Below is the information I found on his Facebook page.

Filmmaker Toni Hagen shot much of his sociological documentary Uhile ko Nepal between 1950 and 1960 - a decade when the gates of Nepal had only recently been opened to the outside world. Hagen initially visited the country on a mission of Swiss development assistance, with a stated goal of diamond hunting, but in the process, he stumbled onto a pre-technological civilization, free from such modern accoutrements as paved roads, automobiles and airplanes - and undertook a 14,000 km journey from one end of the country to another. The result is a time capsule of a vanished civilization - captured in footage that forms a striking contrast with modern-day Nepal.

Part 1: http://youtu.be/399zknmngHE

Part 2: http://youtu.be/M98FbT-Srig

Requirement : Better Service, not More Planes

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:25:00 +0000

This is in response to this article from Nepalnews:

Tourism Minister Magar says NAC will acquire a fleet of five aircraft soon Newly-appointed Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lokendra Bista Magar on Tuesday informed that Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the ailing national flag-carrier, is planning to purchase a fleet of five aircraft over next few years.

Speaking at an interaction organised in the capital this afternoon, Minister Magar said that NAC plans to acquire the five planes through a Cabinet decision soon. He also informed that talks with the representatives of aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus are on and that a team of NAC technicians have also left for China to study whether China manufactured airplanes are suitable for Nepalese conditions.

“The decision to purchase aircraft will be taken after the technical team returns from China,” he said, adding that the country needs more airplanes and he will purchase at least 5 planes for the country without creating any controversy. Due to concerns about its management, NAC had a year ago failed to secure a USD 134-million loan guarantee from the Ministry of Finance to purchase two aircraft from the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. NAC, which was formerly called RNAC, had acquired two Boeing 757 — Karnali in 1987 and Gandaki in 1988. But after people’s movement in 1990, successive governments of Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (UML) had leased aircraft from Lauda Airlines and China South Western Airlines. (Source: http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2011/nov/nov15/news18.php)

The airport is rife with corruption, and lack of professional service and modern equipments, amongst many others. The decision to buy more planes seems to be pretty much in line with the corrupt system of commission scheme - buy expensive items so you can hoard money.

"I came back home to serve my own people"

noreply@blogger.com (Mahayoddha) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:07:00 +0000

Cardiologist Dr. Bhagwan Koirala's interview in Dishanirdesh. Having done study in his field for about 20 years, he ultimately came back home. The only thing that gives him happiness in his job is the look of gratuity in the patients' faces after he saves their lives.

Support Ron Paul for President 2012

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:30:00 +0000

If I had a right to vote in the US, I would vote for Ron Paul.

Here are a few Ron Paul advertisements.

What do more and better jobs mean (to me)?

noreply@blogger.com (davinci) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:24:00 +0000

I wanted to attend a World Bank Conference, and had to write an essay as part of the application. I didn't get selected, but I realize that it is perhaps worth sharing my view here. I have removed the name of the village from the article to not reveal my identity.

In less than 1000 words, please answer the following prompt, “What do More and Better Jobs in South Asia mean to you?”

The current scenario for most of the world, particularly South Asia, is that jobs are mostly, if not only, available in the cities. Almost all economic activities in rural South Asia comprise of traditional agricultural practices. I had an opportunity to get a first-hand experience of this phenomenon this summer while working in ** – a rural village in Nepal – where I was born in and raised until I was five. I would also visit the village during my breaks each school year so I have a good understanding of the village demographics and have witnessed the change over time. In this essay, I will leverage my familiarity with ** and the opportunity I had to research there to discuss what more and better jobs mean to me. I believe that for South Asia to have more and better jobs, it is imperative that jobs are made locally available in rural areas like **, with the caveat that environmental and cultural sustainability be taken into consideration.

In general, one could imagine that better jobs might simply mean high paying jobs. For others, like me, better jobs might mean jobs that are sustainable in the long run that have positive externalities for the the family and society in both monetary and non-monetary ways. In **, one of the biggest concerns I was able to identify amongst the local population was the lack of right jobs in the locality that made it necessary for people to migrate to find jobs that commensurate with their abilities and ambitions. I also found out that ** had changed by a lot during my visit. From over a hundred friends of my age I had in the village, almost everyone had left; I met only two of them in **. They too had returned back on a break from working in India.

The situation so far has been that students who finish high school studies in the village go to bigger towns and cities for their further education and end up working outside the village after graduation. Others, who cannot finish high school, either go to work as cheap labor in India, the Middle East, Malaysia and South Korea, or try their luck to work in the British, Indian and Nepali military. This dynamic, often referred to as “brain drain”, is extremely pervasive in villages, producing rural demographics that consist almost exclusively of old people and young kids. Furthermore, being left in the village is widely regarded as being unable to progress in life, so there is an unbearable pressure on individuals, especially the youth, from the society to go abroad or in the cities to work.

Within this context, I believe the notion of more and better jobs means that villages like ** should develop local economic activities to create local jobs. The process of rapid migration into cities like Kathmandu has created major problems in security, congestion, resource distribution, and overall city management. Availability of jobs in the villages would mean that there would be a reduction in the rapidly increasing out-migration from the villages. This would lead to a reduction in the rapidly increasing social and economic problems that cities have to deal with currently.

It is also not the case that villages like ** are poor in terms of resources. There were so many herbs of medicinal value in the village that someone could actually start a factory and start processing these herbs, thereby providing local employment and increasing economic activity. There was so much bamboo that someone could start a factory that uses bamboo to construct furniture and other products and then market them in the cities. There are many other such resources – and almost any region in Nepal is flush with natural resources. Furthermore, in my survey of the population in **, I found out that most people were interested in themselves and their families staying in the village, if only there were jobs available in the village. More and better jobs in ** would also alleviate the stigma of staying back in the village.

However, there is also a caveat I would like to discuss when speaking about industrializing villages and increasing economic activity. Great care has to be taken with regards to the way industries operate in these rural regions. The controversies surrounding Vedanta Resources, a global mining and metals company, which also operates in Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa of India, show that the company showed disregard for the environment, safety of their employees and a sustainable growth path. Jobs in industries as such might lead to more jobs in the short run, but not better jobs for both the individuals and the society in the long run. Jobs that provide income for the people, while also doing good for the environment and society should be actively sought by entrepreneurial individuals with support from local and national governing bodies for the sustainable growth and development of household, local and national economies.

For me, South Asia with more and better jobs will come into being when rural economies develop in a sustainable way. Firstly, this process will lead to a reduction in resource management crisis in the cities. Secondly, this will lead to a balanced family and work environment, a crucial ingredient for job satisfaction, especially in South Asia, where family bonds are held highly. Finally, this will be a wonderful opportunity to start afresh in rural places, so with a proper framework that focuses on sustainability and brings in investments, quantitatively more – also because sustainable jobs last longer – and qualitatively better jobs can be created.

What is your opinion of more and better jobs? I hope to see criticisms of my view too.