Death of a visionary
With that disarming smile of his, Rabindra Adhikari always appeared calm, sometimes preternaturally so. His comrades and opponents alike would find themselves sucked in by his easy charm. Adhikari, who most recently served as the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, had oodles of substance, too. The 49-year-old Nepal Communist Party leader was a development visionary, as reflected in his countless newspaper articles and two best-selling books. His party rightly saw him as a rising political star and entrusted him with the most important responsibilities, both in the party and in the government.
The life of this once-in-a-generation politician was cut brutally short when he died in a chopper crash in Taplejung district on Feb 27. Having joined student politics on the eve of the 1990 movement for democracy, Adhikari quickly established himself as a fearless and articulate student leader. He was not afraid to take principled stands, even at personal cost. It was Adhikari who led the signature campaign for the punishment of then Prince Paras Shah who had run over singer Prabin Gurung in 2000. Adhikari was also at the forefront of protests against India’s occupation of Kalapani.
Having proven his mettle as a student leader, the then CPN-UML gave him a ticket in the first Constituent Assembly election in 2008 from Kaski district. He won. He triumphed again in the second CA elections in 2013, from the same constituency. Having cast a seemingly unbreakable spell over his Kaski constituency, he was sent to the national parliament again in the 2017 general elections. While in the two Constituent Assemblies, Adhikari played important roles in parliamentary bodies like the Public Accounts Committee and the Development Committee, for which he is still praised.
Later, as a tourism minister, his focus was on enhancing air connectivity, both within Nepal and with other countries. He largely succeeded. But his stint as a minister also earned him perhaps the biggest blot on his otherwise stellar political career after he was linked to the misappropriation of funds in the purchase of two Airbus aircraft.
Yet the sincerity with which he carried out his role as the tourism minister is hard to doubt. His zeal in making Visit Nepal 2020 a grand success was exemplary too. More than that, his records speak for themselves. Rabindra Adhikari will be sorely missed.
Province 5 still without name and capital
Even a year after the formation of provincial governments, Province 5 is struggling to resolve the row over its name and its capital. The provincial assembly has finally started collecting suggestions from different districts in the province in order to decide on the matter.
To this end, the assembly has formed a special committee, which collected suggestions from Nepalgunj in the district of Banke on February 24. Various teams have been deployed to different districts for this purpose.
In Rupandehi, the team comprised provincial assembly members Santosh Kumar Pandey and Fakaruddin Khan, as well as other assembly members elected or nominated from the district. Respondents there generally suggested that the province should be named Lumbini and Rupandehi should be its capital.
After all the suggestions are collected, they will be presented to the provincial assembly to facilitate decision-making.
The provincial assembly has finally started collecting suggestions
Absent chief minister
Even though Provincial Chief Minister Shankar Pokharel was expected to be present during the suggestion-collection campaign in Bhairahawa, a city in Rupandehi, he did not attend it. Locals and their elected representatives were disappointed. Some said Pokharel’s absence suggested he did not take the campaign seriously. They also speculated that his absence could mean he did not want Rupandehi to be the provincial capital.
Difficult questions
Saraswati Gautam, a member of both the special committee and the provincial assembly, laments that the work on finalizing the province’s name and capital is not making much progress. She says the slow pace is due to the provincial government being busy with formulating laws.
“A four-page questionnaire has been developed for collecting suggestions from the public,” she informs. “It has questions ranging from geographic accessibility of a place to security issues.”
However, the questionnaire is apparently too long and too difficult to understand. Madhav Dhungana, a local who responded to the questionnaire, claims that the questions are almost impossible to comprehend for many people, particularly those from rural areas. “Some questions cannot be answered even by members of parliament,” says Dhungana. Many respondents have returned half-filled questionnaires.
Dhungana also says the questionnaire contains many irrelevant questions. “The kind of questions that should have been in the questionnaire aren’t there. This means locals have been deprived of an opportunity to express their opinion on a topic of their concern,” he says.
Investment Summit is just a publicity stunt
The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Co-chair KP Sharma Oli-led government has completed a year. The government was formed based on the twin mandate of ‘stability’ and ‘prosperity’. But while a semblance of stability has been ensured, there is a big question mark over its commitment on prosperity. FDI is down and trade deficit steadily inching up. Meanwhile, the government is preparing for ‘Nepal Investment Summit 2019’ on March 29-30. Biswas Baral and Kamal Dev Bhattarai talked to Former Finance Minister and senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat to solicit his views on the government’s economic performance and the investment summit.
What is your assessment of Oli government’s economic policies over the past one year?
There is not much to be optimistic about. The government seems preoccupied more with publicity, self-praise, aggrandizement, and high-flying rhetoric, rather than undertaking tangible actions vital for the country’s long-term economic interest and sustainability. There is increasing trend toward unproductive expenditure like raising perks and privileges, and distributive and consumptive activities. The government thinks it has done a lot, but the country’s economic condition is getting worse. Good governance, security of private property and strong law and order are prerequisites for economic development. There were explosions in Arun-3 hydropower project last month. This week, there were blasts at dozens of Ncell towers as well, resulting in human casualty and corporate losses. Such incidents create suspicion and terror, which in turn affect foreign investment. With regard to public investment, thousands of infrastructure-related development projects approved and started by previous governments at the central level are in limbo as their implementation has been halted. This is one reason why the capital expenditure is low.
On what basis can we say the economy has fared poorly under the Oli government?
There are several indictors. The declining trend of NEPSE is a matter of concern. Stock market is often regarded as one nerve center of the economy. In the last one year since the formation of this government, the NEPSE index has gone down by over 25 percent. Similarly the country has slipped five places in the Doing Business Index. Nepal’s rank in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is getting worse too. The private sector seems terrorized. All this shows the country’s economy is not faring well. Cost of production is going up. The country suffers from a huge trade deficit and even the balance of payment has deteriorated now. Traditionally the country has maintained a balance of payment surplus, continuously raising the foreign exchange reserve. But this year it has gone down. We have to think of how to increase Nepal’s competitive strength. But the government does not seem concerned about these. Its activities are increasing the production cost and making the country less competitive.
After a long time, a stable government has been formed. Political instability was long blamed for the country’s economic woes. What is wrong now?
People had high expectations of the government because it was elected for five years with a popular mandate. But the government feels it can do anything with a majority in parliament. It thinks pompous speeches and high-flying rhetoric would bring about economic development and prosperity. The government’s stability must be reflected in its behavior, action and administration. Do you see stability in the administration? Obviously not. There have been frequent transfers of civil servants, even three or four times in a year. So political stability is not reflected in the government’s performance. Election of a new government for five years does not by itself ensure stability and steady development.
The focus should have been on strengthening existing institutions. There are coordination problems among federal, provincial and local governments, resulting in confusion and conflicts over the division of responsibility and mandate. The government’s failure to continue implementing the multi-year projects started in the past by taking ownership or handing them over to provincial and local governments on time, and with necessary funds, has created disarray in thousands of road, drinking water, irrigation and other projects. There are complaints from provincial and local governments about the lack of adequate manpower. Further, bureaucratic transfers and appointments are excessively politicized and based on partisan interests. To ensure good governance, you should have right people in right places. This is not happening. The government has failed to produce expected outcomes.
What do you make of the 6.5 percent projected growth in this fiscal year?
Economic growth in the past two years has been favorable, particularly against the poor base of 2014/15 and 2015/16, which was the result of the earthquake and the blockade. But such growth cannot be sustained. The government is boasting about 7-8 percent growth, and trying to influence estimates by others. Around 5-6 percent growth can be achieved because of several factors. First, a good monsoon has contributed to greater agriculture output. Second, massive post-quake reconstruction works are taking place due to the policies and initiatives of previous governments. This is also boosting growth. Third, there is now uninterrupted power supply and expansion of the service sector.
Data show Foreign Direct Investment has declined after the formation of the new government.
The country’s investment climate is not good, as I said before. The stock market, which is a nerve center of the country’s economy, is continuously declining. The private sector seems terrorized and foreign companies are apprehensive. Even domestic investors do not seem confident about the future. Wide-spread corruption in bureaucracy, administrative hurdles in doing business, lack of confidence in the communist government, deteriorating quality of governance—all these contribute to low foreign investment.
Is the communist background of the government also turning investors off?
Bombs are going off at various places, which raises questions about investment security. There are reports of the finance minister’s remarks that the state should own land, meaning it should not be privately owned. Similarly, the stock market has been billed as an unproductive sector. Communist ideology could have played a role.
Are there any structural and legal problems that contribute to low FDI inflows?
There are not many legal problems with FDI, although some refinements here and there may be required in response to the evolving situation. The real problem lies in implementation, confidence- building and administrative efficiency. We have enacted a law on special economic zones and established one in Bhairahawa, but only a few industrial units have been registered and set up there. A new labor act has been enacted through consensus. During the Investment Summit in 2017, donor agencies had pledged $14 billion but that has not materialized. We have generally a favorable legal framework but the problems are with implementation, quality of governance and confidence-building. Several provisions in the last budget including tax measures were not helpful either.
If the money committed in the last investment summit failed to materialize, what could be the point of holding another one?
It is for the government to explain its rationale. My own advice would be to first review the commitments made in the last summit, and analyze why these pledges have not materialized. There must be a serious appraisal of that, with proper follow-ups. Only after that, and only if it is necessary, should another investment summit have been held. Follow up on previous commitments, and only then think about the future. But the government seems to be planning the summit more for publicity, to show that it is actually doing something.
What do you make of the government’s recent employment guarantee scheme? Surely, it is good.
Creating more employment opportunities is a good thing. But there must be proper homework and preparation before announcing a scheme. The problem in Nepal is not just lack of employment opportunities, but creating skills and motivating Nepalis to take up jobs where foreign manpower is being utilized. There are plenty of job opportunities in areas where foreign labor is being used. Many development projects are suffering for lack of manpower. A few weeks back, I had read that there is a lack of manpower in big industries and they are having to bring manpower from India, Bangladesh and other countries. The construction industry is dominated by foreign workers. Nepal is the seventh biggest remittance sending country to India. Of our total remittance inflow of US $7 billion this year, we send about $3 billion to India. We only have to provide skills to Nepali nationals so that they can work here. The employment guarantee scheme seems to be directed more toward distributing money and providing an unemployment allowance rather than creating skills. We need solid programs to create jobs. This calls for a serious exercise by top experts and policy makers with the right background and expertise.
Do you think the communist government is trying to follow the Chinese economic model?
I cannot say what the government has in mind. As far as attracting foreign investment is concerned, China is a great success story. But they have adopted a different political system, which makes it difficult for others to exactly replicate their model. However, we can learn a lot from their model and experience with regard to productivity growth, work discipline, technological improvement and foreign investment. It must be noted that the growth and prosperity of China started with the policy shift in 1978, when the inward-oriented, centralized and state-centric policy of the Maoist era was discarded in favor of an open and liberal policy.
Bound by tradition
For Nepali women, cultural and religious rituals are expected to be part of our daily lives. Major festivals like Teej, Chhath, Swasthani Brata, Gaura Parva among others, punctuate the year. This year, the recitation of Swasthani Brata Katha, which is dedicated to Goddess Swasthani, started on Poush Shukla Purnima ( Jan 21, a full moon day) and ended on Magh Shukla Purnima (Feb 19, 2019, another full moon day). The month-long Swasthani celebrations were marked by daily fasts and recitation of mythological stories.
These festivals, including Swasthani, require women to perform all sorts of rituals, including strict fasting in the name of god, our families, our husbands, and our children. I have always questioned these practices in my own life. Why don’t the men fast in the name of their wives and children? On these festivals, I choose to go out and take photographs. I talk to women and ask them questions about why they are doing what they are doing.
Quick questions with Swoopna Suman
Q. What’s an opinion you hold that most people would disagree with?
A. Fries should be eaten without ketchup.
Q. What are you proud of but never have an excuse to talk about?
A. My cooking skills.
Q. Your alternate career choice?
A. An army officer.
Q. A Nepali singer you would like to collaborate with?
A. Astha Tamang Maskey.
Q. Which country would you like to go for a concert tour?
A. The USA.
Q. If you could pick a day to relive, which day would it be?
A. My first ever concert at Pragya Pratisthan.
Q. You were star-struck when you met?
A. Respected Sujil Karmacharya Dai.
Q. What’s one superpower you would not want?
A. To be able to read people’s mind.
Q. What would you like to be remembered about you?
A. I want people to remember me for my music and my songs.
Costly patriarchy
If there is one overarching message of our five-part APEX Series ‘Women in politics’, it is that good legislation alone does not ensure gender balance in key state organs and political decision-making bodies. Perhaps it’s a matter of time. The sea-change brought about by the 2006 movement for democracy was rather abrupt. For one, it was difficult for Nepalis to get used to a country without the monarchy, which had been around for nearly 250 years. Nor did our politicians and legislators know what to do with their newfound powers after the transfer of complete sovereignty to the people.
Post-2006, women’s representation in state organs shot up dramatically. First the interim constitution (2007) and then the new constitution (2015) guaranteed at least 33 percent representation of women in state legislatures and in political parties’ key decision-making bodies. Nepal’s legislature suddenly became among the most inclusive in the world. Perhaps women’s lead role in the Maoist rebellion had a big hand in changing the perception that women should be confined to their homes. Yet after the Maoists were brought into the political mainstream, the male political leaders who controlled the national polity were still reluctant to see women in leadership roles.
As a result, whether in political parties’ decision-making bodies, or in state institutions, or in local elected bodies, women got secondary roles as deputies to men. Or they were excluded outright: all four of our national parties are illegitimate as they don’t have the mandatory 33 percent women’s participation in party organs. Time may change this imbalance. But given the entrenched patriarchy, it may not.
What will work better is sustained pressure on our politicians and legislators to continue to make the country more inclusive and fairer. Women’s participation has been shown to contribute to better institutional decision-making, and even to peace and social harmony. If we are to thrive as a country, and to attain the double-digit growth the prime minister likes to dream about, women’s greater participation is mandatory. The most prosperous countries like Norway and Switzerland are also the most gender-inclusive, while poor and unstable ones like Afghanistan and South Sudan are among the most hostile to women. That gender equality brings peace and prosperity is no wild theory. It is now solid science.
Attend international theater festival throughout Nepal
Want to see 30 national and international plays, performed by theater groups from nine countries, and in seven theaters? The Nepal International Theatre Festival 2019 is set to kick off on Feb 25 in Mandala Theater, heralding an eight-day festival of performances and workshops. With the slogan ‘Theater for Social Transformation: An Artistic Voyage’, the festival aims to strengthen communal harmony, respectfulness for social diversity and to contribute in the preservation of intangible cultural heritage through social awareness, art and exchange. The festival will take place in Janakpur, Pokhara and Biratnagar. Among the countries participating in the festival are Macedonia, Denmark, Sri Lanka, Norway, Afghanistan, Italy, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. For further information: https://nitfest.org/
Weekend events
Celebrate
Social Cafe Anniversary Party
6 pm, Friday, Feb 22
Social Cafe
Gairidhara, Kathmandu
Celebrate the second anniversary of the Social Café with live music by Sareen Deoja (Monkey Temple), Dipesh Shrestha and Nikesh Manandhar. Plus a lot of chit-chat between likeminded entrepreneurs, meet-and-greet with popular musicians and delicious food are on offer at this free event.
Learn
Masterclass: Art of cinematography with Eric Valli
12 pm, Saturday, Feb 23
Rastriya Sabhagriha
Exhibition Road, Kathmandu
Learn more about the art of cinematography from award-winning director/cinematographer/photographer Eric Valli. He is a twice-nominated director for the Oscars, and the director of 'Himalaya', Nepal’s first nomination for the Academy Awards.
Entry fee: FREE
Taste
Dumpling Festival
11 am, Saturday, Feb 23
Chimes Restaurant
Milap Road, Lalitpur
Attention: Momos and dumpling lovers unite! Enjoy the family-friendly Dumpling Festival at Chimes with over 10 varieties of delicious dumplings from all around the world. Free entry!
Attend
Doodle Dash Workshop
10 am, Saturday, Feb 23
Sattya Media Arts Collective
Jawalakhel, Nepal
Doodle Dash is a workshop for anyone who wants to take baby steps to art-making using random patterns, scribbles, shapes, forms, etc. At the end of the workshop participants will be able to create basic doodle works.
Fees: Rs 800
