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Nepal: Oligarchic politics drowns people in profound despair

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:45:37 -0500

April 10 is the fifth anniversary of the historical Constituent Assembly (CA) elections in Nepal. The elected CA failed to draft a new constitution nationally agreed upon as a tool to manage the 10-year Maoist insurgency that had confined the deep-rooted ruling elites and its state apparatuses to its Kathmandu premises. Following a royal coup on 01 February 2005, the parliamentary parties that believed in peaceful politics and the warring Maoist insurgents that disrupted all state forces across the country agreed to manage the conflict peacefully through joint anti-monarchy political movement aimed at radically drafting a new constitution. However, the conflict developed in a different form following the emergence of former Maoist rebels as the largest political party while the most powerful traditional parties, viz., the Nepali Congress and the Emalay (UML), were propelled into defensive positions. Because of the fundamentally different perspectives and socio-psychological settings of the former Maoist rebels and the NC-UML forces, the CA became defunct and was dissolved by a verdict of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi, now the Prime Minister, extremely debated.

Following the dissolution of the elected Constituent Assembly that abolished monarchy on 28 May 2008, the political parties have not yet explained to people if they adhere to their previous declarations of federal republican system. People suspect that they may work with a more regressive mindset.

It is not yet known why Nepal's Supreme Court--against the very principle of the Separation of Power--interfered with the historically elected CA and its delegated parliament by dissolving them with a political motive.

It is also not known why the same Chief Justice has agreed to become the country's Prime Minister of the partyless government that includes monarchists and landlords, officially recorded as government ex-bureaucrats.

It is equally remains doubtful why Nepal's former rebels--the Maoists--, the NC, the UML, and other parties have handed over their roles to a partyless autocratic team in the name of an election cabinet.

It, similarly, remains a surprise why ardent advocates of democracy, reputed critics and analysts have interpreted the political anarchy from business elites' perspectives rather than from perspectives of the suffering masses.

But one thing is clear: the Nepalis are still ruled by oligarchies. Markets seem controlled by criminal forces with a political nexus. People feel they are helpless because no political organizations have apparently worked to alleviate their sufferings. The money that political parties get to run their party organizations and activities is absolutely non-transparent. They are extremely weak in moral terms. But they tend to use money, muscle and media to run their politics. This character of theirs clearly demonstrates a need for a radical way of politics based on moral principles.

Nepali women: plight and liberation strategy

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 04:50:22 -0600

The human society is a culture created by human beings. So is gender concept. So are countless discriminations. In a sense, what human beings think, practice and follow is a culture. No force beyond our own mind creates cultures among us. In other words, what we knowingly or unknowingly follow is a culture. Culture once set does become a habit. Habits become automatic, mechanical. But we can change them better. We can replace them in certain cases. We can reduce the degree of our deep-rooted habits. This concept can apply to fighting gender discriminations in general and discriminations against women in particular.

Problems are more or less, similar, globally. Relative differences are natural. But the women of the South or the North face almost the same plight—discriminations and violence against them. Why do such crises have persisted for so long despite continuous struggles seeking their management? This is a question worth exercising over.

Since we rarely try to replace the culture already deep-rooted in our psychology, gender disparity exists. Blockbuster researchers with Hollywood-sized budgets can verify this statement if they want.

One can reiterate that we behave the way we do because of cultures deep-rooted in our psychology. Women and men behave each other the way they do because of settings in their psychology.

A few hundred Nepali women, representing various political, socio-economic and religious-cultural settings, took out to the streets of Kathmandu on the 8-March occasion on Friday. This is positive. But are the vanguard walkers, organized under varying banners, conscious enough to produce cause-and-effect analyses regarding the plight of the Nepali women? Educated and well-do-do women were rarely seen in the 8-March rallies. Actresses, beauty queens, advertising models and other professional women were not seen their leading other women. Almost 99.9 percent women seen in the streets belonged to the working class category. They earn minimum wages; they face survival crisis. They face an extreme difficulty sending their children to school. They want to gain human dignity. They want to make their voices heard regarding the application of democracy and human rights in their practical life. For these major reasons, they chanted slogans in the streets.

These working class women, who represented the concerns of the majority of marginalized women in the country, need academic, professional and legal empowerment to achieve the level of dignity they desire or seek. Those in privileged positions, with academic, professional and legal strength, must not neglect the plight of the majority of women.

Five Star Hotel advocacy, seminar presentations and glossy reports are beyond the reach of the majority of rural masses. Instead of squandering millions of dollars in mere advocacy activities in Kathmandu and other cities, we rethink to take our advocacy to women’s doors? Door-to-door advocacy and interpretation, in the long-run, will enrich the women politically, economically and socially. As women liberation is not a quick-rich project dedicated to the wives of senior political leaders, justices and established hereditary rulers, the access of the greatest number of rural women to women liberation movement is a must.

Similarly, the nature of advocacy itself requires transformation.

Women liberation movement, so far confined to vote collection and reactions over the existing fate, needs transformation in itself. In other words, it must seriously and proactively address the political, socio-economic, religious-cultural and moral transformation of the Nepali society. Right politics leads to right policies. For making politics right, all forces, including women, need to foreground right agenda.

Foregrounding right agenda implies highlighting universally acclaimed human rights.

The marginalized cannot buy education and health. Without their guaranteed access to education and health, they cannot grow better. But all-out privatization of education and health services has jeopardized their life.

Guaranteed education leads to the enjoyability of empowerment and entrepreneurial opportunities. Guaranteed education not only empowers women and men economically but also empowers them politically, intellectually and morally. Politically, intellectually and morally enhanced women and men can contribute to the accelerated progress of their nation.

However, the existing realities are formidably incompatible with the fundamental meaning of democracy and human rights. Governments of the world have made education and health mere market commodities. Those who have money can buy education and health. No matter how heavy taxes have been imposed on people, massive exploitation has equally been imposed on them in the name of education and health.

The Nepali women, side by side with other progressive forces, need to highlight these basic parameters for their empowerment. Without addressing these vitals, it becomes difficult to develop their critical and analytical capacity.

Without raising women’s level of critical and analytical capacity, they will not be able to differentiate between liberating education and commoditization education. Liberating education scientifically mobilizes their mind while commoditization education confines them to their saleswomanship role dedicated to the existing corrupt culture. The trend of misusing women as market objects and further enslaving them will continue unless they are given critical and analytical education. This is what the Nepali women vanguards need to assess in the light of the global feminine day.

Nepal: Chaudhary Group commits crime against public health

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 21:32:48 -0600

According to Nepal’s government-run daily newspaper the Gorkhapatra published today, a shopkeeper in Saptari district has found decomposed slurry and insects in all the packets of Rio juice produced by CG Foods (Nepal) Pvt. Ltd.

The daily has quoted one Mohan Bharati, the shopkeeper at Mahuli, Saptari, as acknowledging that all packets of Rio juice were found to have insects and rotten slurry inside. He was reported to have discovered this problem while he inserted a straw pipe into the packet to give to his granddaughter. As soon as he smelled very bad, he is said to have opened the packet to see what was wrong. Upon finding the rotten slurry and insects inside the packet, he reportedly checked all other packets in which he found the same problem.

Civil Society members in Saptari are reportedly preparing for agitation and health advocacy while the concerned company has dismissed the issue as nothing that affects its business. The attitude of the company goes against the often quoted expression of Chaudhary Group President Mr. Binod Kumar Chaudhary “Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution.” If people have to believe his statement, the problem that has occurred in this incident is the outcome of ill-intention, insincerity, unworthy direction and ill-implementation.

In Nepal, most of the parents are ignorant about the quality of such beverage no matter how many times such problems have been pointed out by the mass media.

CG Foods (Nepal) Pvt. Ltd. is a company under the Chaudhary Group, a prominent industrial house working closely with the political parties and the government.

Nepal: Dalits beaten for requesting access to drinking water

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:20:41 -0500

Two Dalits Karna Bahadur BK and Bimala BK in Dailekh district have been beaten for requesting access to drinking water, the state-owned Gorkhapatra daily reports on Saturday.

According to the report, locals Jay Bahadur Bista and three others of Lakuri Village Development Committee beat them as they requested their village administration to manage access to drinking water for the Dalit community at Ward No. 4 of the same village.

Jay Bahadur and his men had argued against providing the Dalit community an access to drinking water while the victims had argued that it was their natural right to access to drinking water.

The victims currently spend two hours a day for collecting their drinking water.

In Nepali villages afflicted with massive illiteracy, political and socio-economic inter-caste discriminations, superstitions, the Dalits (also socially tagged as ‘untouchable castes’) are widely discriminated against as ritually ‘impure’ to co-exist with other so-called high castes. When the Dalits seek to voice their rights as human beings, they are more likely to face assaults in such remote Nepali villages. Even the most educated persons in such villages spontaneously follow the psychological patterns of caste discrimination in the name of social traditions or beliefs.

The state forces, mainly the law application mechanisms, have failed to empower and mainstream the oppressed Dalit community despite the constitutional provisions intended to implement their fundamental and human rights. Those violating the law of equality are never punished as regards the discrimination against the Dalit community.

Most of the Dalit leaders, belonging to different parties, serve partisan interests as vote collectors.

Vague Civil Society advocacy in Nepal: a context of under-cared peace process

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:09:53 -0500

Civil Society in Nepal

The Civil Society in any country is a top-conscious community with diverse settings, capable of debating political, socio-economic and religious-cultural issues. It represents the existing structures in the concerned country. This representation includes conflicts and differing perspectives molded by experiences derived from different settings.

No international definition exists there to specify the Civil Society. Many people in Nepal think that a few elites cooperating with the ruling class to re-strengthen their power dominance in every sector make the Civil Society. Elite journalists cum media entrepreneurs, elite legal experts and retired bureacrats are often highlighted as the Civil Society in Nepal. In the post-1990 decade, even political activists have launched themselves as the Civil Society members. Although some of them have time and again advocated progressive changes, their advocacy mainly appears a superficial intellectual luxury not well backed up by research output and cause-and-effect analysis.

By global practice, those who launch intellectual advocacy on public agenda represent the Civil Society. In reality, the Civil Society does not mean the intellectual luxury of luxurious elites. It, instead, means the intellectual force that looks after citizens' wellbeing through public eyes. It works to enable citizens to be good thinkers and actors. Even in absence of the elected government or the parliament, it works in close collaboration with the mass media. Its purpose is to represent citizens at citizens' level. But basically, the term Civil Society is vaguer throughout the world.

Nepal's Civil Society does have its Nepali characteristics. It reflects the nature of the Nepali society. While the country was afflicted with a decade-long Maoist armed insurgency and the state's counterinsurgency actions, the Nepali Civil Society advocated for peace and peaceful settlement of the armed conflict. The intellectuals in favor of political and socio-ecoonomic changes produced a united voice to use a peaceful means to manage the conflict. This is how the Civil Society members presented themsleves in crisis hours. Their advocacy was focused on adopting peaceful methods to bring peace to the nation. They supported change agenda as part of Nepal's conflict management. Yet, they were uanble to provide any guidelines that could pave the way for transforming Nepal. In a way, the Civil Society supported changes, opposed the then autocracy and provided some input to media for public discourse while the political parties were losing their image and strength due to public discontent.

Vague advocacy of Nepali Civil Society amidst public confusions

When we saw the automatic dissolution of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on 27 May 2012, we realized that our Civil Society is a weak advocate. The Supreme Court of Nepal dissolved the elected CA as well as the Legislative Parliament. This was an utter mockery of parliamentary democracy in the world. How can the Judiciary work as the Legislature? Nepal's Civil Society members were too superficial to look into this case. They could not sensitize the ordinary masses. Elites were against the CA and any possible constitution that could pave the written way for state restructuring. But the Civil Society members in favor of progressive changes could not communicate effectively to stimulate a series of public debates on the change agenda. Pro-change Civil Society members could not be proactive and consistent to defend the nation's change agenda even when some top leaders of different political parties apparently acknowledged that they do not have to become responsible for a new constitution because it is the former rebels' intention, not their own. Nepal's Civil Society has become a vague communicator. There are certain reasons behind this argument.

One particular reason why the Civil Society has now been considered weaker in its advocacy and communication is that most of the Nepalis appeared less informed and awakened about the significance of the historically elected CA, a unique tool to draft out possibly the best constitution in the world because of its most inclusive characteristics.

As soon as the CA was elected in April 2008, an unidentified campaign of anti-CA propaganda was launched, and many knowingly and unknowingly began to follow the propagandistic tracks, less aware of why the CA was formed and what historical achievements it had to ensure.

Anti-CA propagandistic campaign was widespread in about 4,000 villages. The literates and illiterates began to believe that the CA was a burden, with no motive for a new constitution. The distrust in the spirit of CA worked to dissolve it. As an effect of this distrust, the supporters and organized members of major political parties, which had formally expressed their commitment to changes through the CA, could not pressurize their leaderships. The politidal leaderships not pressurized at all by the bottom strata, entered an easy atmosphere in which they did have an excessive series of dialogue with the traditional ruling and business elites. Due to their frequent cotact and deepened and tightened ties with the elitists, the leaderships failed to continue their ideological communcation with their foundational strata. The outcome naturally was the psychological detachment from the public spirit, including the one of the April uprising of 2006.

Interpretative passivity of Nepali intellectuals

Seeing the repeated history of political betrayal and moral poverty, most of the political workers at the bottom and middle strata either preferred to remain passive or were engaged in securing their material opportunities, worried about the destiny of their own as well that of their family members. This trend led to people's disengagement with the political agenda-setters at the party organization levels. This applied to all the major peace process stakeholders in Nepal.

While the majority of the Nepalis were misinformed about the vital mission of the elected CA, the major peace process stakeholders, viz. the unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (UCPNM), the Nepali Congress (NC), the Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) and the Madhesi Front (the united forum of Terai-based regional parties with Madhesh origin) mistakenly or deliberately used the CA historically elected CA as a mere bargaining parliament heavily focused on forming, reshuffling or dissolving government. They paid scanty attention to their primarily set mission-a fundamental method to manage the 10-year Maoist armed insurgency through a republican constitution.

The Nepalis have now been puzzled over the final outcome of this political stalemate that resulted from the dissolution of the CA. We haven't yet seen other alternative political forces that can act as true alternative forces. The current dilemma requires a chemcial mental processing to provide people a more suitable way out. At the moment, these major stakeholders often parrot "consensus' among themselves. Each of the major four peace process stakeholders suffers from a win-lose idea, which ultimately bars the national consensus. The ultra-trumpeted "consensus' has been understood not as a way of mutual understanding and agreement focused on addressing the common concerns of the people. It rather has been interpreted in their own partisan terms. But the peace accord signed six years ago has a clear win-win proposition: political and socio-economic transformation of Nepal. Why do they disagree on this if it facilitates a sustainable conflict transformation?

This political environmental communication noise (barriers in interpreting and understanding messages due to problems in political and socio-economic settings) has further divided them; as a result, the sense of mutual understanding is getting ever distant. Nevertheless, they have not ceased to talk to one another, especially with reference to their partisan empowerment.

The intraparty and interparty political dialogue continues, with an angle of power-sharing or controlling. While the parties have time and again spent considerable time on whose agenda to adopt or whose leadership to adopt, the Civil Society has not come up with effective public communication to overcome the existing political barriers that must be eliminated to witness any political changes in Nepal.

Because the ruling parties have already misled the Nepalis, they need inspiration and substantial input to re-activate themselves in the peace process.

Better possibilities for the Nepali Civil Society

Not to let the peace process decompose into yet another civil war or bloodshed, the Civil Society--different citizens with varieties of expertise but with an intellectual level of political consciousness--need to be proactive during the current political deadlock. If need be, the Civil Society members, without being loyal to parties, should be prepared to assume active transitional leadership in the country.

A Civil Society with vague advocacy or fragile communication physique cannot effectively serve public interests. For this reason, the Civil Society members need to plan, reinforce and intensify their public communication. Not launching a continuous series of public dialogues on the current political crisis would be a loss on the part of the ordinary masses and the Civil Society.

In the process of public communication on the dominant political crisis, it wold be the best for the Nepali Civil Society to concentrate on the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) signed between the then Maoist rebels (now known as the UCPNM) and the Seven Political Party Alliance (SPA). As the CPA contains the essential dose meant fort the overall transformation of the Nepali society, this is what the Civil Society has to use as a launching pad. The Civil Society becomes no longer the Civil Society if it aligns with any force that has its propositions incompatible with the overwhelmingly embraced change agenda.

The change agenda (chiefly, republican setup of democracy, federalism, inclusive power-sharing and welfare society) have a valid rationale, with its profound impact and worthiness for Nepal's strategic future.

Despite the prevalence of ad hoc-ism in the Nepali political psychoogy at present, the Nepalis definitely need their long-term future. No one denies this truth, so mustn't the Nepali Civil Society. In line with this truth, the Nepali Civil Society can practically demonstrate their rationale and timely productivity by adhering to the CPA principles of political and socio-economic transformation. These principles that originated from the mindset of the suffering masses in Nepal relate to the globally dissemianted agenda of conflict management through good governance and social justice. There is no reason why the Nepali Civil Society should hesitate to advocate change agenda directly concerned with the peace process.

The deviation of the major peace process stakeholders from the peace accord does not mean its end. Since the peace accord represents the pure realities of the Nepali society, one cannot take a mental flight off the ground. Doing things with personal motives does not match with the practical methods agreed on in the peace accord document--a record of the collectively shared and compromised spirirt indeed. The major political parties, though too untransformed to transform the Nepali society, are still presiding over Nepal. Equally true in this context is the absence of any apparent alternative force with a claim of replacing them. Any extreme method leads to spillover reactions. In this critical situation, the pro-change Civil Society members cannot shirk their moral obligations.

The best principle to deal with the current crisis is the concept of the golden mean suggested even by many ancient philosophers. The golden mean is against extremism and absolutism. It favors co-existence and mutual sharing. This is what the peace accord carries. This is what the Civil Society members can stand on for communication on the peace process agenda. They can help the major peace process stakeholdeeers refocus on the mandate of the massive April uprising (2006). The humiliation of this mandate is not in favor of peace and change. The Civil Society members need to supply substantial input to the political decision-makers. The input will be the reconsolidation of the peace accord ingredients. The Civil Society members, comparatively better equipped with their own expertise and communication ability, can interpret the peace accord ingredients.

Room to work: peace communication means change communication

The Civil Society in Nepal, like in any other country, is marked by the indentity of social change advocates. Social justice becomes the major tool of their advocacy because they are guided by their firm belief in the fact that peace results from the utilization of social justice principles. Linking social justice principles to genuine democracy, the Civil Society members need to refute disguised democracy under which blackmarketeers and smugglers over-influence the political structures, rendering them defunct from public perspectives. The political structures in Nepal have physical and legal presence but their orientation towards public interests is far vaguer, especially with regard to the accessibility and availability of essential goods and services.

The working class people feel thet state has been privatized by a few elite ruling families in the name of democracy. There is a complete lack of public transport concept amidst an uncontrollable number of vehicles. People have to pay exorbitant prices for their to and fro because of this lack. Nepal is considered one of the richest nations in water resources. Yet there is horrible scarcity of drinking water; private dealers sell low quality water, securing hundred percent margin. There are similar crises in every sector, unreported, undug or unexplained. This is where the Nepali civil society can prove their worth through their intellectual exercises. Especially, those using politics for economic white robbery have apparently misused and defamed the current transition period. They have not been identified specifically or individually; it is a trend of practice into which many political workers fall for various reasons. If the Civil Society in Nepal is psychologically prepared to become an effective (functioning) role player, they will definitely realize their social responsibility of combating the metastasis of crime carcinoma through public communication.

The peace process practically means the change process. No change, no peace. Peace is not the mere absence of war--the globe knows in general. Peace is the availability of justice for the people. Peace means a guarantee of an environment in which the voiceless, the helpless or the marginalized, including minority communities, can find their viability and identity. This is what the Nepali peace accord signed in 2006 clearly indicates. More coordinated peace communication--change communcation, to be clearer--is required in Nepal.

Those who aspire political and socio-economic transformation of their lives are voiceless. The Civil Society members most of whom belong to the middle class background; need to give a voice to them. This is how the Nepali Civil Society can reduce the degree of their vague advocacy.

What does CA dissolution mean?

The dissolution of the CA does not mean the end of everything. It can be considered a lesson; it can be attributed to various factors, the political intentions or the motives of the major political forces in the main. All of them did pay the greatest amount of time and attention to government formation or dissolution. None of them separated from this wrong process. The former Maoist rebels misled their own cadres and supporters by sticking to the wrong process of government formation and dissolution. The Maoist leadership, through it had a special responsibility of interpreting and instituionalizing change agenda, highly superficialized its role--something quite unexpected from the former rebels. Since the former rebels themselves spent the six invaluable years of the peace process in training people to tolerate all the evil tendencies against which they had militarily and ideologicaly fought for 10 years, the adolescent generation--so emotionally curious to learn--had a chance to learn almost nothing regarding the political change process, its long-term impact on the future of the coming generations, the rationale of the people's movement, and the barriers to be removed.

What is more frustrating in this context is that the young generation was forced to believe that all parties in Nepal were given to undemocratic culture--a psychology insensitive to people's sufferings, heavily concentrated on catering to their own personal and factional interests. The creation and widespread escalation of this belief among the majority of people is definitely not conducive to the nurturing of genuine democracy. It rather leads even future generations to the do-whatever-you-like-and-can path of thinking and behavior--a self-destructive psychological structrure. Under this emerging nuissant psychological structure, the politically, economically and socially inaccessible and vulnerable will be further victimized.

To prevent or at least minimize the victimization of people, the peace process stakeholders must take lessons from the CA dissolution. They now must make use of every hour in internalizing the change agenda by themselves and interpreting them honestly to people. To help the major peace process stakeholders do so, the Civil Society members should produce and disseminate critical and independent analysis on the causes and effects of the CA dissolution and the possible future courses of action.

First published in the Opednews

Nepal: Conflicts remain, peace process in dilemma

Mon, 28 May 2012 01:13:42 -0500

The Nepalis witnessed a black day on 27 May 2012 as the Constituent Assembly (CA) got dissolved at midnight without declaring a new constitution awaited for four years. The CA, which was considered extremely inclusive in the world, was elected on 10 April 2008 with the goal of drafting a new constitution meant to address the causes and effects of the 10-year Maoist insurgency in the country. The Supreme Court, in response to a writ petition, had ordered the peace process stakeholders not to extend the CA deadline. Many considered this verdict as a political vendetta against those who favored changes.

Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, at midnight on Sunday, declared a new election on 22 November 2012 for a fresh mandate; however, no consensus on it has yet been created.

The major political parties, signatories to the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) were extremely nervous and puzzled over whether to accept a federal system based on ethnic identity or non-ethnic identity amidst threatening interest groups’ continuous pretests across the country, including those in Kathmandu. Consequently, they could not take any decision regarding the finalization of the incomplete draft of the new constitution.

The dissolution of the historical CA is a natural outcome since the Nepalis’ power to resist the bureaucratic, political, constitutional and communal hurdles created on the path of dismantling the deep-rooted undemocratic structures was very low.The Maoist insurgents had signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) on 21 November 2006 on condition that the elected Constituent Assembly (CA) draft a new constitution with federal republicanism marked by state restructuring and inclusive characteristics. The overwhelming majority, in a series of massive protests defying 19-day military curfew in April 2006, had shown their aspirations for total political and socio-economic transformation in Nepal dominated by landlordly casteist rulers.

Historically, the former Maoist rebels had given up their armed insurgency by joining hands with the parliamentary political parties to ensure restructural changes the political and socio-economic sectors. Should peace process-defined changes be applied, elite rulers would lose many of their existing privileges in different sectors.Nepal's major political parties, not psychologically prepared yet on how to transform the Nepali society, lingered to their power embezzlement-oriented disputes regarding the nature of state and federal systems.

Nepal's peace process had got further complicated after 17 parties led by the Unified Marxist Leninist and the Nepali Congress apparently favored the military supremacy over the civilian supremacy when they did not want to take the issue of sacking the then Rukmangud Katuwal either to the court or to the parliament but preferred to force the ceremonial President to take his unconstitutional decision to re-appoint the army chief. In the same context, Nepal's CA Chairman Subhas Nembwang created a further dilemma by rejecting a motion registered against an unconstitutional step of the country's president.As there exists the political, socio-economic and religious-cultural environment in which the stronger suppresses the weaker, the smarter cheats the duller, the educated suppresses the illiterate, the richer exploits the poorer, the male dominates the female, the dishonest governs the honest, and the guilty suppresses the innocent, acute conflicts and confrontations among various strata of the rulers and the ruled will continue in Nepal.

As part of conflict transformation, the political forces in Nepal must follow the path of right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration in order to prove their worth of politics for ordinary masses. These are the practical principles developed by Gautam Buddha 1556 years ago. They are applicable in implementing democracy from bottom to top levels.

Original link: newsvine

Nepali perspectives: Pragmatic relevancy of Buddhist Eightfold Path for implementing human rights

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:28:46 -0500

The Nepalis and others with faith in the Buddhist philosophy highly respect the date of birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama the Buddha. Today is the 2556^th birthday of Gautama the Buddha, who was born in a Shakya family in what is now the south western Nepal. Today is his birthday as well as the day of his enlightenment and death.

His philosophy is viewed the most scientific in the world. The world is taking more interest in understanding him. Therefore, this article is dedicated to all the fellow humans who sooner or later will understand the Buddhist philosophy as the most relevant, pragmatic and scientific methodology to deal with the crises in the human society.

The growing human rights violations on a global scale imply the underling weaknesses on the side of the ruling classes because they are primarily responsible for formulating policies and strategies guided by insight and moral virtues. Focused merely on voluptuous materialism and vulpine ambitions, the global politics is becoming more crime-and-war-oriented. While the greatest majority of the globe have been suffering indescribably from the heinous human rights violations, the number of paper commitments and human rights nongovernmental organizations is multiplying.

Along with the rise in human rights violations, an increase in the volume of human rights advocacy is natural.

No matter how many international commitment papers have been signed among the UN member nations, human rights violations are growing in newer forms.

Democratic movements are going on throughout the world. Many developing nations have adopted a democratic political system, more or less. But paper-rich commitments are not matching with human behavior, especially the state level. The vulnerable masses have been showcased but their problems are getting deeper. Newer civil wars are being created, with lust for money that is possible from massive arms production and trade. The criminalization, all-pervasive in global politics, is no longer confined to local legal Acts. They definitely come under the universal human rights purview. The human beings all over the world are suffering from human rights violations. Neverthele4ss, the world appears to have taken little interest in identifying the true causes behind the multiplication of suffering. Since the world is suffering from human rights crises, no individual effort or local law can deal with such a global issue. Is the matter of global search of an alternative medication that can empower the Legislatives, the Executives and the Judiciaries? Such empower, primarily, must be of a moral nature. Because most of the crises in the human society originate from the moral crisis.

The countries’ official apparatuses and nongovernmental forces that try to or address the frequently occurring human rights violations require higher insight and moral foundations. But only official means and legal methods cannot treat such violations. What we require most in this context is our perception beyond our official provisions.

To understand about human rights violations scientifically and suggest appropriate ways to minimize them, a far clearer perspective is available in the Buddhist philosophy.

The Buddhist philosophy, though also considered a religion, is a psycho-universe science, which is primarily concerned with the functioning of human mind in relation with the Universe. Although Buddhism as a psycho-universe science sounds a new term, it is not. This concept is originally human and is as old as the human existence.

Buddhism as a science deals with cause-and-effect analysis methods. It is concerned with mind-body relationship. It does not imagine a soul detached from the body. Instead, it interprets mind as a mechanism within the body, which is a particle of the Universe. When the body dies, so does mind. Mind does exist along with the body. It now is clear that mind is a composition of chemicals within the brain. However, ritualists and cultists may debate about the definition and location of soul. But the Buddhist philosophy in essence perceives brain process as a mind. This is what one needs to understand for making out causes of human rights violations.

I assume the Buddhist Eightfold path is a more practical methodology to promote human rights culture and social justice. Though ignored or neglected, the human society will sooner or later pay attention to this most scientific discipline of understanding the relationship of mind and matter.

Briefly considering the contents within the Buddhist Eightfold Path would be a clue to further study:

RIGHT VIEW

The right view as propounded by the Buddhist philosophy belongs to the wisdom domain. This component of the Eightfold Path is mainly related to understanding the world and developing one’s insight into the mind and matter. This is also known as the right understanding. Perception of the ground realities and their roots is essential in order to scientifically address the human rights issues with a view to reducing the rates and frequencies of human rights violations.

All sectors, especially media and political forces, need to grasp the very idea of the Buddhist right view approach, so vital for perceiving facts and data. Media people need to dig up accurate details in order to create moral pressures for the political forces to formulate accurate policies. Input is very important for output in any sector. The right view supply accurate input that ultimately influences not only the output of a policy but also the fate of mankind.

Today wrong perceptions rule the world. Widely distributing gun licenses to citizens is not only a wrong perception of rulers but also a violent method of politics. This wrong perception of the security issue in the human society promotes the violent path of politics. It creates an environment for war and cruelties. It is not only an anti-democratic but also an anti-humanity approach that the concerned nations must abandon as soon as possible. They cannot protect their citizens with guns and bombs. They cannot guarantee world peace and order by producing more weapons and widely selling them in the global market. This wrong practice of global politics originates from the wrong perception of the reality. The global scenario of the world demands a right understanding of the problem. In absence of the right view, one is likely to commit crimes. For example, crime and politics may sound synonymous if wrong views prevail all-pervasively. Right view leads to right speech, right effort, right action, right livelihood, right mindfulness and right concentration.

Cause-and-effect analysis and right understanding, as per Buddhist teaching, is advisable in this respect. In fact, the right view approach can help to reduce the human rights violations through scientific conflict transformation. It is quite essential for all forces in the human society to try to abandon their wrong views and enter the right view.

RIGHT RESOLVE

Right Resolve refers to the right intention. It is also related to wisdom. Human beings shape up their thoughts that determine a certain pattern of behavior. Mental mapping matters a lot in developing courses of actions. This has been little considered in the political sector, the headquarters of human society operations. So long as wrong politics prevails, rights actions cannot be expected. For example, human beings expect a good fruit of democracy. But wrong thoughts dominate the global politics; as a result, more wrongs actions causes more suffering.

Good things are chanted and documented. Paper commitments are not enough for letting people taste the fruit of democracy. Right intentions are essential. Hidden intentions can neither be seen nor are written anywhere. Propagandism is still a serious problem in the world.

The Buddhist approach of the right intention (resolve) is a vital tool to make our society better. Evil intentions lead our society to pain and society, ever more.

Right intentions on the side of all the forces in the human society are the prerequisites for implementing human rights, minimizing their violations.

To develop the habit of right resolve or intention, it is essential to exercise over abandoning evil desires. Evil desires are those that one attempts to fulfill at the cost of other’s happiness or life.

It is a proven truth that ill-intentions cause the criminalization of the world while good intentions help to create a humanist world. Today’s global peoples have been ill-trained to believe in the politics of war involving global arms production and trade worth billions of dollars while the majority of human beings remain deprived of their most basic human rights, such as, right to food, housing and clothing. Planned wars and massacres have violated human beings’ right to life itself. Today’s educated peoples in the globe have succumbed to ill-intentioned politics. They have legitimized crimes committed against themselves. This, for this reason, is the moment for us to seriously consider the Buddhist approach to the Right Resolve, so vital for maintaining the very humanness.

RIGHT SPEECH

Lies rule us. Propaganda makes our brain weary and less productive. Our brain is the most fertile thing compared to other parts of our body. However, we are stuffed with wrong speeches.

Right speech actually means abstaining from lying and abusive communication. The Buddhist Right Speech method is mainly related to our everyday communication behavior.

The Right Speech plays a vital role in promoting healthy interpersonal relationships in the human society. Good interpersonal relationships are the bedrock for healthy international relations and friendship. No negotiations can be healthy unless we adopt the right speech.

Especially, media persons and politics forces need to show their special concern as regards truth. Only truthful information leads us to right decision-making process.

The Right Speech is a way to promote a human rights-friendly atmosphere. It is a tool to teach young generations about good values to follow. The development of good values in the youngsters’ psychology means the reduction of human rights violations.

The Right Speech saves us from misleading behavior. Wrong or ill-speeches mislead us. Misled people are involved in human rights violations. Misled rulers and their bureaucrats cannot control crimes.

Besides, the Right Speech helps us to control hatred, fanaticism, lunaticism that emerge out of misguided political exercises. The Right Speech encourages peace and sisterhood in the human society.

RIGHT ACTION

Right action cannot originate on its own. It is founded on the Right Understanding, the Right Intention and the Right Speech.

We suffer from adverse consequences because of wrong views, ill-intentions, wrong speeches and wrong actions. If we cannot be aware of our own actions, we must consider ourselves superstitious and thoughtless.

We reap deaths because we sow violence in politics. The global war traders still hold the key of global politics. Their perceptions, intentions and actions lead us towards more sufferings. It is people’s right to seek rights actions. For this they need to develop a cause-and-effect analysis approach in their learning process. Unless the peoples of the globe become mere paper votes, they cannot change the world from the war zone to the peace zone.

Corruption, ill-governance, robbery, murder and more are against the Buddhist approach of the Right Action. Today, embezzlement of resources in the name of democracy is growing. People suffer from more exploitation when ill-actions replace right actions. There is no doubt that the Right Action approach is essential in the implementation of human rights on a global scale.

The young generations need to be educated and trained in molding good habit patterns—a sure way to adopting the Right Action approach.

RIGHT LIVELIHOOD

There is a growing tendency to live by crimes. Crimes are huge industries on a global scale. It means the global politics is getting acceleratingly criminalized. We cannot collect mental satisfaction by blaming a few leaders. Because they represent a certain number of people, they can be held responsible to some extent. But the process of criminalization cannot be understood from the superficial education. The Buddhist Eightfold Path does contain the methods of understanding roots of the crimes.

Since wrong views, wrong intentions, wrong messages, and wrong actions shape our generations in a wrong way, they happen to take up wrong livelihoods. They adopt criminal methods to earn more money.

Corruption and bribery are crimes, not only wrong livelihood. Exploitation by human beings of human beings, though a vague concept, is a serious problem because it is related to the intention of concerned people.

Due to corrupt and ill-intentioned politics under the tag of this or that, people unconsciously take up wrong path of livelihood. The lack of the Right Livelihood leads our society towards adverse consequences.

RIGHT EFFORT

The right effort is related to putting good thoughts into practice by perseverance, persistence and continuity. It is an exercise of generating will power to implement one’s good thoughts. Abandonment of wrong thoughts is vital in maintaining the Right Effort.

The Right Effort is the practicum of good values. It leads the practitioners to greater skillfulness and expertise. Thus, the Right Effort as a practical tool can help us implement human rights more wisely.

RIGHT MINDFULNESS

Human beings have to become attentive to how their own mind is functioning. They are the masters of their own minds. They cannot disconnect their mind from actions or from the real world. Becoming aware and alert-minded of one’s own ongoing actions is the condition of the Right Mindfulness. Those negligent of their own actions cannot remain accountable to people. For the clear perception of the present, right mindfulness is necessary.

Human rights implementation suffers not because there are not official treaties and protocols but because there a great deal of absence of right mindfulness.

Policymakers, implementing mechanisms and other stakeholders cannot implement human rights provisions globally agreed upon if they cannot be attentive to what they have promised to do.

RIGHT CONCENTRATION

The Right Concentration is the singleness of mind. It is the condition of mind’s deeper involvement perceiving the world. If human beings really practice the Right Concentration to the degree possible for them, achievements in the human rights implementation will be superb.

Through the Right Concentration, human beings sharpen their perceptions. They do not become hateful. They become equanimous, not prejudiced.

Equanimity is a condition of minds’ condition of becoming detached from prejudices or reactions. It is the state in which human beings can perceive the reality and move progressively without craving to cling to what causes pain. In other words, the Right Concentration denotes a condition of remaining neutral to pain and pleasure. In more practical terms, the craze for more pleasure leads to more pain. Tendency to collect pleasure by creating pain to others is growing, which is not the source of happiness but the source of suffering not only for the victimized but also for the victimizers.

Unfortunately, today’s rulers have ill-concentration on war race. They campaign for wars to maintain their supremacy. They sow ill-thoughts and live on them. Consequently, human rights violations are multiplying geometrically.

Should all the components of the Eightfold Path be considered collectively and as a system, we can find it worth exploring more as regards creating a better human society through the implementation of human rights.

Dimensions of press freedom: a Nepali perspective

Thu, 03 May 2012 06:19:09 -0500

Observation of the International Press Freedom Day is an annual reminder of what press freedom is, why it is necessary, how to use it and what should people and concerned institutions do to protect and promote it.

When observed among bigwigs in a luxuruoius and well-facilitated atmosphere, the International Press Freedom becomes an annual feast for the honored and invited to enjoy. When observed through pro-social justice advocacy communication, it becomes the continuity of an effort towards making the enjoyment of press freedom more meaningful and justice-oriented.

Generally, activists and media-related institutions have used the International Press Freedom Day to highlight the murder, detention or the victimization of mediapersons in other ways. Highlighting the plight of journalists is quite logical because they are people’s representatives, who, even in absence of the elected parliament, represent people’s concerns. When journalists are suppressed in this or that way, people’s concerns find little place in the media. Besides, journalists have a greater potential to make media more public-oriented. Thus, the journalistic duty is closely related to protecting people’s fundamental and human rights. Should there be no press freedom for journalists, people’s fundamental rights face a huge threat.

Nepal’s journalists, organized under unions, stress on the unhindered use of press freedom. Their emphasis is logical because when media and journalists suffer, people suffer too, the reason being journalism’s raison d’etre for people.

The Nepalis await the day of the promulgation of a new constitution with federal and republican elements in it. They believe a new Nepal can be worked out with the help of a pro-social justice constitution, inclusive and progressive in nature. The awaited new constitution is a major component of the ongoing peace process founded on the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) signed between the State and the Maoist rebels, who were engaged in a nation-wide armed insurgency with a demand for the political and socio-economic transformation of the Nepali society. The Nepali media have been covering the peace process and the constitution drafting process the way they are up to. Media entrepreneurs and journalists, in particular, are more interested in predicting press freedom provisions in the new constitution. They, at least, hope that the previous press freedom provisions will not be curtailed in the new constitution.

The post-1990 20 years are marked by a considerable growth in the media industry in Nepal. The Nepal government has so far licensed 380 FM radio stations to operate in urban, semi-urban and rural areas. More than 30 TV stations, too, have obtained licenses.

Due to the bulkiness of advertising costs of business institutions in the country, many seem interested in setting up media houses no matter how scanty knowledge and education they may have in the media sector.

While the media industry is growing larger, the government appears far weaker as regards a wise media policy. The current media policy and the one being randomly drafted with an intention to invite foreign direct investment in the media sector have not addressed Nepal’s concerns concerned with national sovereignty, independence and integrity. Those involved in the drafting of a new media policy do not appear serious about the far-reaching consequences of random foreign direct investment in the mass media. No geo-political sensitivity of Nepal has been considered in the draft.

Amidst such contexts, Nepali journalists have observed press freedom. It is natural for them to seek professional dignity and reasonable remuneration for their arduous work. However, the concept of press freedom needs to be debated in favor of public interests.

What is press freedom

Press freedom, philosophically, is a theoretical concept of representing the human right to freedom of expression and opinion. Legally, it is a valid tool to use to protect and implement people’s fundamental rights. Professionally, it is an environment for media professionals to work independently while seeking, processing and distributing information and entertainment programs via the mass media.

Nepali journalists have a long way to travel in implementing press freedom. There are serious challenges involved in this regard. Before proceeding to utilize press freedom as far as possible, it would be advisable to consider the following:

Conceptual framework of press freedom

Whose freedom is press freedom? By principle, those educated in mass communication and journalism are aware that press freedom is for people through media. However, the practices vary depending on the character of the existing political and socio-economic settings in different countries. The collective conscience of a concerned society determines the conceptual framework of press freedom. The Nepalis have to work hard to conceptualize press freedom. As part of globally recognized press freedom under the market economy model of politics, most of us are not unacquainted with what press freedom actually means. For those talking about the social responsibility of commercial media, there may be thematic debates ahead.

Political dimensions of press freedom

Media is a vital political component of a state structure. Civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights—all—are the topics of pluralist democracy. However, the framework has ideological and operational limits, be they good or bad.

Economic dimensions of press freedom

Profit-makers have been the backbone of the modern media, most of which are commercially run. Media as an industry runs according to economic principles. No money, no information. No information, no public consciousness. Is this notion perfect? If media contents are heavily manipulated and influenced for vested interested of those who spend a huge sum of money to buy advertising space, can public interests be protected? This question has been raised frequently in America and Europe, not in Nepal.

Similarly, does our press freedom ever touch upon the massive exploitation of workers and farmers and the total control of arbitrary brokers on our national economy? Have we used our press freedom to reveal the root causes of poverty and to communicate scientifically on what should be done to increase people’s prosperity, how and why it should be done?

Social dimensions of press freedom

No doubt, the Nepali media have published and broadcast several stories on social incidents related to discriminations and superstitions. But what about the root causes of social evils? Can we find the retention and re-strengthening of caste untouchability, dowry, witchcraft and many other ill-practices linked to national politics?

Religious-cultural dimensions of press freedom

There is some media coverage on religious-cultural issues. Is it enough? Can we go in-depth? Can we use religious philosophy and metaphysics to transform society by fighting evils? No such dimensions appear considered under the press freedom conceptual framework.

Current Nepal perspectives of press freedom

The Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) is a historical achievement. Many are not happy with it because their privileges and unjust dominance have been questioned. Since the CPA apparently advocates the political and socio-economic transformation of the Nepali society, many elite families, who still control Nepal’s politics , would like to neutralize it, seeking a possibility to maintain status quo.

The homeless, the most marginalized and deprived cannot set up their own media companies. They have to depend on the information produced and supplied by the entrepreneurs, who have a selling orientation. Therefore, conflicts have been covered with confrontational attitudes, which sell in the news and opinion market. Analytical and critical discourses on the CPA rationale and its potential to change the Nepali society have found little space.

However, the Nepali media sector does have the potential to become more productive should they realize that they are not mere salespersons but also a vital stakeholder in making a better society.

Nepali workers’ plight and May Day

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:56:33 -0500

While the world is observing the global May Day with a slogan of greater democratic rights and solidarity for workers all over the world, the Nepali workers, like those in most other nations, are going through miserable living standards that disable them in almost all sectors of their lives. The massive labor exploitation of the Nepali workers at home and abroad remind us of the vulpine political character detached from people’s daily life.

The Nepali ruling elites, who are still unable to soften their obstinate belief that democracy is their inherited private property, have been following a path of political and economic slavery even in the 21^st century.

The richest individuals in Nepal generally are so-called top communist leaders, top democratic leaders, top conservative leaders, high ranking security, judiciary and executive officials, most of whom work for customs and tax offices.

While elite rulers and their lackeys are piling up their luxuries of Western standards, the majority of workers starve to half-death. Starving to half-death means predicted slow-poisoned death. Since the latest per capita income of the Nepali workers, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, is $61.25, you can imagine the plight they face today on the basis of the following working data:

Table 1: average prices of some essential commodities and services

S.N.	ESSENTIAL CONSUMPTION ITEMS/SERVICES	AVERAGE PRICES PER KG/LTR/UNIT
1	RICE OF LOW QUALITY	$0.48
2	RICE OF MEDIUM QUALITY	$0.59
3	RICE OF HIGH QUALITY	$0.95
4	RICE OF HIGHEST QUALITY	$1.19
5	MODERATE QUALITY LENTILS	$1.31
6	Milk (normal)	$0.25
7	MUSTARD OIL	$1.73
8	SOYABEAN OIL	$1.61
9	CHINESE APPLE (QUALITY: ROTTEN)	$1.43
10	CHINESE APPLE (MEDIUM QUALITY)	$1.90
11	INDIAN APPLE (HIGHEST QUALITY)	$.2.98
12	EGG	$0.12
13	NORMAL PURIFIED WATER AT LOCAL SHOPS	$0.29
14	SOFT DRINK AT LOCAL SHOP	$0.36
15	NEPALI LUNCH IN A LOCAL MEAL SHOP	$1.43
16	NEPALI LUNCH IN AN ORDINARY RESTAURANT	$2.98
17	NEPALI LUNCH IN A STAR RESTAURANT	$7.00
18	TEA AT A LOCAL SHOP	$0.14
19	WORKER’S MONTHLY ELECTRICITY BILL	$2.38
20	WORKER’S MONTHLY CELL PHONE COST	$11.90
21	WORKER’S MONTHLY ROOM RENT COST (SUBSTANDARD)	$23.81
22	WORKER’S MONTHLY TRANSPORT COST	$28.57

Source: Field Study April 2012 (Mohan Nepali)

The price indicators in the above table proves that the Nepali workers have been robbed of their basic human rights by their party and union leaders. They even cannot afford to pay for their children’s education and health. This situation of the working forces clearly means that the Nepalis still need to struggle with a long-term strategy that can facilitate the political and socio-economic transformation of their society. For this, they lack a morally grounded visionary leadership, which instead of serving modern feudal lords and smugglers, aims at empowering people democratically in a true sense.

A few moneyed families still control Nepal’s politics. Political leaders and state mechanisms mostly serve them, not the people.

Nepal: Siddhartha University proposed 17 years ago but not considered yet

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:58:23 -0500

Chairman of Nepal’s proposed Siddhartha University, Dr. Bikkhu Sunanda Mahasthavir, has expressed his regret as the government has not yet approved of the university despite the fulfillment of all the official requirements as per the nation’s laws.

Organizing a press conference on Wednesday at Kantipur City College in Kathmandu, he informed the participating journalists that 235 Members of Parliament have already recommended for a bill of the university.

A theological graduate from Harvard University and a doctoral dissertation holder in philosophy from the American University, Washington, Dr. Mahasthavir complained that he would at no cost adopt any unethical method to please and acquire approval for the university. Answering questions posed by journalists, he stressed that Siddhartha University is for the nation’s academic growth in Buddhist philosophy and moral enrichment.

Dr. Mahasthavir also informed journalists that Nepal government has not given any reason why the process of licensing the community-proposed university has lingered for 17 years now.

In response to queries from the press conference participants, he promised that he would not use any unfair method to get the university registered. He, instead, urged journalists and civil society members to lobby for this good cause. “We are not doing anything with an ill-intention. We will not yield to any immoral method.” Dealing with another question about the lingering on the side of government bureaucracy, he said “No minister has ever directly bargained for his or her personal benefit while we talked to them; however, unknown and vague persons with political linkages had tried to broker with financial benefits in mind.” While we are trying to launch a university for welfare of mankind, why are we sidelined while the government has randomly approved several other universities that did have political linkages. Responding to reporters’ queries, he stressed that the proposed Siddhartha University will never try an unethical method in order to persuade government officials to recognize the university.

Participants had also raised questions about newly emerging universities that did not have any infrastructures and academic vision.

Siddhartha University is a Buddhism-oriented university proposed by the local community at Ugrachandi Nala Village Development Committee in Kavre district. The Village Development Committee has provided about 56 hectares of land for the university while the university, according to Dr. Mahasthavir, has already prepared B.A. and M.A. curricula for academic Buddhism programs.