Submit your Article

The decision to allow Chinese NGOs to operate in Nepal, at a time the government has otherwise adopted a hard line against INGOs, is yet another indication that the ruling left coalition wants to minimize the role of the West and maximize the role of two big neighbors. It increasingly appears that Prime Minister KP Oli has decided that both his interest and that of his country lies in enhancing neighborly ties and developing Nepal as a ‘vibrant economic bridge’ between India and China. Since PM Oli has taken both India and China into confidence, the ‘scheming Westerners’ are needed no more. Neither India nor China wants to see the Americans and Europeans meddle in their backyard. It is no secret that over the years the two neighbors have repeatedly asked the government of Nepal to tighten the noose around Western countries and agencies. It was under their pressure that the government first bid farewell to the UNMIN in 2011 (which was set up in 2007 to supervise Maoist arms and army) and then to its successor, the Department of Political Affairs, this year.

Then came the National Integrity Policy, whose main aim was to circumscribe the role of INGOs and make things difficult for undocumented foreigners (read: Westerners) in Nepal. This was not just to keep India and China happy. Successive Nepali governments have been uncomfortable with the role of many INGOs they suspected of being active in proselytization and of thereby trying to fundamentally change the Nepali society. Repeated news stories that spoke of up to 90 percent funds of these INGOs being repatriated to the countries of their origin only added to public skepticism.

PM Oli has clearly tried to cash in on the recent thaw between India and China, and perhaps really does believe that they can now together contribute to Nepal’s growth and development. And if western NGOs can work in Nepal, why can’t Chinese or Indian NGOs? But whatever his broader goal, the strategy of admitting Chinese NGOs into ‘soft areas’ like livelihood and community development while also simultaneously pushing out their western counter­parts from these areas is not without its risks. The Chinese NGOs are virtual appendages of the Chinese government, much more so than the Western NGOs work for the interests of their countries of origin.

Thus, in a way, the government is making the country ripe for active Chinese interference that Nepal has been lucky to escape thus far. Should India-China relations sour again, or should there be another blockade, Nepal will also have fewer friends abroad speaking on its behalf.

KATHMANDU: The Tribhuvan Inter­national Airport’s only runway has been barely functional over the past four years. The Civil Engineer­ing Department under the airport authority has been spending around Rs 20 million a year patching it up. “With such a shoddy runway, there can be an accident anytime,” says Murari Bhandari, department direc­tor. “We are taking a big risk.” There is a risk of aircraft skidding during both takeoffs and landings. “Patch­ing it up on the surface is no solution since there is structural damage,” Bhandari says, adding that if there is a crash because of the runway, it would send out a troubling message to the rest of the world. UTTAM KAPRI

KATHMANDU: The second edition of the joint military exercises between Nepal Army and China’s PLA, named ‘Sagarmatha Friendship’, is to be held in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan province of China between Sept 17 and 28. A 16-man team of Nepal Army is going to China under the leadership of a Lieutenant Colonel. The two countries had agreed to resume the exercises, first held in 2017, during PM KP Oli’s recent China visit.

The second edition of Sagarmatha Friend­ship will focus on ‘anti-terrorism wargames’ and ‘disaster management’. Nepal Army has been conducting similar exercises with the armies of India and the US as a part of its defense diplomacy. SHAMBHU KATTEL

Blood is dripping from their pierced nose through which ropes have been inserted and tied. Their tears are mixed with blood; and their tails are firmly tied to the truck. Even their mouths are tied so that they cannot scream through the pain. This is how 35-40 buffa­los a truck are transported to Kathmandu every day.Several animal rights activ­ists were present when Sneha Shrestha, founder of Sneha’s Care that works for animal rights, talked about the brutal treatment of these animals at a public event in Lalitpur. Many got emotional when they saw a video on it.

Shrestha informed that the animal welfare guidelines were first drafted in 1999 and later amended in 2007. “But why are they not being imple­mented?” she asked.

She painted a picture of the buffalos transported via trucks to Kathmandu. There are many obstacles to trans­porting buffalos from the Indian border. A truck driver spends Rs 28,000 when transporting a truckload of these animals from Sarlahi district to Kathmandu in var­ious legal and illegal levies. Likewise, according to truck drivers, they have to pay Rs 100,000 to Rs 150,000 for a truck of goats. There is thus great incentive to cut costs.

The guidelines state that the animals should be fed properly, given enough space to move and physically unharmed while they are transported; they should have a comfort­able journey. However, “every day, 500-600 buffalos enter Kathmandu and each of them has the same horrific ride,” Shrestha added.

The Director General of the Department of Livestock Services Bimal Kumar Nir­mal said that despite efforts to bring a law on animal welfare, they had been unable to do so. Nonetheless, he com­mitted to tirelessly working to end cruelty against animals. “We had a provision in the proposed law that outlawed such,” he said.

“If a goat is found dead while it is being transported, we can charge no more than Rs 5,000 in fines,” said Modnath Gau­tam of Central Animal Quaran­tine department. Because of such paltry fines people who transport animals are careless. In Gautam’s opinion, the laws should be stricter.

The police do not bat an eye when they see the bru­tal way in which the animals are transported. “There are also cases where drivers have presented signed papers from quarantine officers even though the mentioned officers were absent from their posts,” Shrestha revealed.

The registrar of the Nepal Veterinary Council Narayan Prasad Ghimire said that state and local governments are better placed to deal with these problems. The local governments have the powers to punish the rule-breakers, he said, “and even to send them to jail.”

By Nitu Ghale | Lalitpur