Flames of the Snow Burns the Zionist Manusmriti Hegemony in India trying to RESSURECT the Hindu Monarchy in Nepal!
Trouble Galaxy Destroyed Dreams- Chapter 511
Palash Biswas
Flames of the Snow Burns the Zionist Manusmriti Hegemony in India trying to RESSURECT the Hindu Monarchy in Nepal!
"It does not have a single word about the Indian Maoist movement. I could have juxtaposed it, but I specifically did not do it," says Anand Swaroop Verma, the frustrated producer of the film 'Flames of the Snow: Revolution in Nepal'. "It is a chronological history of the Nepali people's struggle against autocratic regimes."
Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Sharmila Tagore says "India does defy definition," indicating that something which justifies the Nepali movement may also reflect on its Indian counterparts. "Are there similarities in the '-ism'? Can parallels be drawn," she asks. "I do feel that there sometimes has to be some restriction in view of peace, of law and order — the bigger picture." She will personally view the film when the Reviewing Committee considers Mr. Verma's appeal next week.
The board communicated its refusal to certify the film for public screening on June 14, after a four-month period during which consultations were held with the Ministry of External Affairs, a former Ambassador to Nepal who gave his objections in writing, and experts on Maoists and Nepal.
"In the opinion of the Examining Committee, any justification or romanticisation of the ideology of extremism or of violence, coercion, intimidation in achieving its objectives would not be in the public interest, particularly keeping in view the recent Maoist violence in some parts of the country," said the board's letter, which also quoted the Cinematograph Act's provision that a film must not be "against the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order …"
Given the sensitivity of the issue and the current Maoist violence, the Examining Committee may have erred on the side of caution. "There is no intention to muzzle anyone," says Ms. Tagore. "The problem may have been that it wasn't a balanced film. It may have been entirely pro-Maoist."
Mr. Verma admits that while he has been writing about Nepal for the past 30 years, he is also a known Communist who has written extensively on Indian Maoists, though he is "critical of them on some issues." However, he reiterates that his film simply tracks the history of Nepali people's movements from the 1770s, including the peasant movement which produced the "first martyr" Lakhan Thapa, the Praja Parishad and Nepali Congress movements, and finally the Maoist armed struggle and the toppling of the monarchy, ending with the proclamation of the republic in 2008.
"It is not possible to make any film on Nepal's history or politics without mentioning Maoists," he says, adding the Maoists are a legitimate movement, with the largest number of seats in the Assembly. "India has even welcomed a Nepali Maoist Prime Minister," he points out.
Mr. Verma has appealed the decision to the Revising Committee, and if the film is rejected again, he will take his case to the appellate tribunal and courts.
Indian censor rejects film on Nepal Maoists
Flames of the snow, a 125-minute documentary has been directed by New Delhi-based Ashish Srivastava.
Citing the growing Maoist violence in some states of India as the reason, authorities in New Delhi have refused to allow public screenings of a documentary on Nepal that depicts the Maoist insurgency in this country in a series of uprisings against dictatorship, finally ending in the abolition of monarchy.
New Delhi's Central Board of Film Certification, whose approval is mandatory to screen films in India, has denied permission to Flames of the snow, a 125-minute documentary directed by New Delhi-based Ashish Srivastava, formerly associated with Discovery channel, and Anand Swaroop Verma, Indian activist and journalist who is close to the Nepal Maoists ideologically.
"The film tells about the Maoist movement in Nepal and justifies its ideology," the board informed Verma, explaining why it had decided to withhold permission.
"In the opinion of the examining committee, any justification or romanticisation of the ideology of extremism or of violence, coercion, intimidation in achieving its objectives would not be in the public interest, particularly keeping in view the recent Maoist violence in some parts of the country."
"It's a case of being more loyal than the masters," said Verma. "The film is about the history of Nepal with Maoist movement being a part of it. It does not contain a single reference to the Maoist movement in India."
The film begins with the founding of the Shah dynasty in 1770 by the first powerful king of the clan, Prithvi Narayan Shah. It covers nearly 250 years of absolute rule, first by the kings and then by the Rana prime ministers, punctuated with people's rebellions and ending with the end of the royal line.
The first notable uprising occurred in 1876 when Lakhan Thapa, a peasant from Gorkha, the same district from where the Shah kings hailed, organised fellow peasants against the atrocities of the Rana rulers.
But the movement was put down with swift brutality and Thapa was hanged, in a move reminiscent of the peasant uprisings against British rule in India.
The pro-democracy movements were then spearheaded by the political parties in 1950 and 1990, finally leading to an armed movement by the Maoists for 10 years from 1996.
The film ends with the formal abolition of monarchy after a historic election in 2008 that also saw the Maoists emerge victorious to head the new government.
"Flames of the snow" produced by a Kathmandu-based human rights organisation, Group for International Solidarity, Nepal, was screened in Kathmandu in April 2008, during the last days of the Maoist government when it was watched by the Maoist top leadership.
It includes an interview with Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, describing the genesis of the armed movement.
"The Censor Board objection is absurd," Verma said. "It means the board will never give its certification to any political film made on Nepal since there can't be any political film on Nepal without mentioning the Maoists, who have now become part of the history of Nepal. When you acknowledge Nepal as a republic, you have to also acknowledge the Maoist movement that led to it."
Verma also says that Nepal's Maoists are no longer an armed party. They took part in the elections in 2008 and led the government till May 2009.
Verma has appealed against the board's decision to the Revising Committee of the board. "I am going to start a campaign and go to the tribunal," said Verma.
The Indian censors' decision comes even as films made on the Maoist movement in India have been given the green signal.
Earlier this year, the Indian Cultural Centre in Kathmandu showed Hazar chaurasi ki maa, the Govind Nihalani film that is sympathetic to the Naxalite movement of the 1970s, as part of the Indian film festival in Kathmandu.
Next month, Indian film director Ananth Mahadevan's Red Alert: the War Within, a film focusing on the impact of the armed movement in rural India releases in India.
05:37 PM, Jun 24, 2010
Indian Censor Board has refused to certify 'Flames of the Snow', a documentary on Nepal, for public screening. The Board feels that the film 'tells about Maoist movement in Nepal and justifies its ideology.' It feels that 'keeping in view the recent Maoist violence in some parts of the country', the permission of its public screening can not be given. Produced under the joint banner of 'GRINSO' and 'Third World Media', the 125 minute film has been produced by Anand Swaroop Verma, a senior journalist and expert on Nepalese affairs. He has also written the script for the film. The film has been directed by Ashish Srivastava.
Reacting to the decision of the Board, Mr. Verma said it is quite surprising as the film does not have any reference at all to the current Maoist movement in India. The film is only about the struggle of the people of Nepal against the despotic Monarchy and the anarchic reign of Ranas. With the formation of Nepal in the year 1770 by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the foundation was laid for Monarchy in Nepal which was finally given a burial in the year 2008 when Nepal was declared a Republic. Thus 238 years of Monarchy also included 105-year rule of Rana dynasty which is known as the black chapter in the history of Nepal.
Talking about the film, Mr. Verma further said that the film actually shows how in 1876 Lakhan Thapa, a young man from Gorkha district organized the peasants against the atrocities being unleashed by the rulers of Rana dynasty and was, later, put on gallows by these rulers. Even today, Lakhan Thapa is remembered as the first Nepali martyr. Exploring the movements led by 'Praja Parishad' and 'Nepali Congress' against the despotic system, the film focuses on the armed struggle carried on under the leadership of the Maoists for 10 years and unfolds the story of how the movement mobilized the Nepalese people by first attacking and dismantling the feudal system in the rural areas and subsequently taking the people's movement to the urban areas bringing more urbanites into its fold.
The film begins with the establishment of monarchy in Nepal, further touching the developments like the elections for the constituent assembly, the emergence of Maoists as the largest party in the elections and finally ends by showing the decline and complete disappearance of Monarchy and Nepal being declared a Republic.
Taking note of the objections put forward by the Censor Board, it seems that the Board will never give its certification to any political film made on Nepal since no political film on Nepal can escape underlying the prominent role of Maoists. Maoist party was heading the government in Nepal till May 2009 and even today is the largest party in the Constituent Assembly and is the main opposition party. Moreover its president Pushp Kamal Dahal 'Prachand' as the Prime Minister of Nepal had visited India on the invitation of the Government of India.
Mr Verma is now submitting his film to Revising Committee of the Board.
Anand Swaroop Verma interviews Prachanda
Posted by parisar on August 19, 2006
29 July 2006
Q. Did you ever anticipate that within 10 years of initiating the People's War it would reach such a great height?A. I would like to tell you that towards the last leg of our preparations for launching the People's War, we did discuss about the progress sequence of Nepalese People's War. The pace of its progress was thoroughly discussed and finally, we reached at the conclusion that contradictions existing within the country and the prevailing external situation combined together to facilitate the speedy progress of the People's War.
Q. Some people opine that the timing of your starting an armed struggle was wrong since the objective situations were not ripe at that time. After the dismemberment of Soviet Union in 1990, the communists, all over the world, were feeling let down and post-1990 the imperialist forces were gaining ground. Was it the right time to launch People's War?
A. True, the conditions at that time, were really adverse. Post-Soviet Union dismemberment, the imperialist forces were celebrating the demise of communism. On the other hand, Peru's Maoist revolution got a severe blow with the arrest of Com. Gonzalo. Thus the international scenario was really very unfavourable for our action. But when we analyzed the situation, we found that within Nepal people's aspirations had got a fillip after the 1990 pro-democracy movement and they were under a false hope of improvement. In order to remove this false sense of hope, we even entered the parliament and for three years tried to explain to the masses that post-1990 agreement was not the real agreement, it was not in the interest of the people. We repeated the same inside the parliament also. We told people that they have been betrayed. Thus after three years of continuous campaigning, we found that conditions, within Nepal, were getting conducive for launching People's War. All the work undertaken by us during the parliamentary sittings and debates convinced us that conditions at the national level were quite ripe for the launching of the People's War. Though it is true that, at the international level, conditions were not as favourable but then this was exactly the time when our valor was needed to be tested. We thought that if we could move forward by using our internal conduciveness to remove the general sense of despair spreading fast throughout the world, then we can contribute a bit towards bringing some change in the prevailing situation. Moreover, it was our well thought-out strategy. We are convinced now that our strategy was right. By initiating People's War amidst trying conditions we got an opportunity to show that revolutions are not dead. We could tell the world that 21st century will again be a century of revolutions.
read the complete interview
http://parisar.wordpress.com/2006/08/19/anand-swaroop-verma-interviews-prachanda/
Friday, November 16, 2007
An appeal : Anand Swaroop Verma
It is matter of shame for all of us that while the neighboring country Bhutan is continuing with the autocratic monarchy and its repressive activities with the help of world's largest democracy India, the intelligentsia in our country has maintained silence over the issue whereas the Indian media, time and again, keeps on praising the monarchy in Bhutan. We are repeatedly told by the media that the tiny populace in Bhutan is prospering, the country is unaffected by the environmental degradation and cultural pollution and so on. During the last couple of years, Indian media is full of news praising the King for his liberal attitude by arguing that he himself wants to end the monarchy to usher in the democratic system of governance. The media keeps on telling us that the King of Bhutan wants to join the modern world because he feels that continuing with monarchy in the present scenario is suggestive of a regressive thought.
The same media never told us sternly that this 'peaceful and environment friendly' King, in 1990 with the help of his army, had expelled 1.5 lakh citizens of his country, run bulldozer over their hamlets, destroyed their orange and cardamom plantations and unleashed a reign of terror and oppression on elders, women and children just because they were asking for the establishment of minimum democracy and respect for their human rights. Media never bothered to tell us that in the drama that is being enacted in the name of the countrywide elections scheduled for February 2008, neither political parties banned for last 20 years and termed illegal (Bhutan People's Party, Bhutan National Democratic Party, Druk National Congress) nor the people living in seven refugee camps run by UNHCR inside Nepal's border for last 17 years have been permitted to participate. The total population of Bhutan is around seven lakhs and expelling 1.5 lakh people out of this tiny population has been an incident never witnessed in the history of any country. The most surprising thing is that India is the only country in the subcontinent extending support to the King of Bhutan. He was even invited by the Indian government as chief guest in Republic Day parade two years back.
India has contributed significantly towards the plight of Bhutanese refugees. These refugees had brought out some pamphlets and organized peaceful demonstration demanding a minimum democracy in 1990. The centre of this movement was southern part of Bhutan which is close to the Indian border, particularly the West Bengal border. Although the King of Bhutan had imposed ban on the entry of television in his country, but how could this neighboring region of West Bengal could remain uninfluenced by the movement related activities which are the very soul of life in West Bengal. People from South Bhutan came to India for educational purposes and they had to pass through West Bengal. Apart from that, due to lack of connecting roads in mountainous Bhutan, people had to take the road which passes through West Bengal in order to reach the other parts of Bhutan. Since southern part of Bhutan was primarily inhabited by Lhotsompas, a Nepali speaking Bhutanese community which constituted 90 percent of the Southern Bhutanese population, the King charged them with creating disturbance. When the people of Sarchop community from east and north Bhutan were also expelled, it became clear in the long run that this movement was not confined to the Nepali speaking community alone.
Teknath Rizal, advisor to the Royal Council set up by the King wrote a letter to the King requesting that he must humbly pay heed to the people's complaints. But instead, the King put Teknath Rizal behind the bars. He was forced to suffer unbearable pains for 10 long years. He was released in 1999 when the King's officials realized that he could die in prison due to illness. He is now living an exiled life in Nepal and leading the anti-monarchy struggle. Rizal hails from Lhotsompa community.
On the same lines, the popular leader of Sarchop community Rongthong Kunley Dorji was arrested by the monarchy and charged with supporting the demand of minimum democracy. The King seized his property, put him in the jail where he was subjected to severe atrocities and was finally kicked out of the country along with his family. He was arrested by the Indian police on his arrival to India in 1996 and was put in Tihar prison for two years. He is currently on bail and the Indian government has imposed various restrictions on him. He is also leading the anti-monarchy struggles. He is the president of Druk National Congress. India has always given refuge to the pro-democracy activists of various countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Burma, Tibet and Nepal. Keeping this in mind, India's discriminatory attitude towards pro-democracy forces in Bhutan is surprising.
India's role in this regard is both shameful and significant because when the helpless Bhutanese citizens arrived inside the Indian border after being expelled from their own country, Indian security forces forcefully loaded them in trucks as if they were livestocks and dumped inside Nepal border. Those who resisted were beaten up severely. With no choice left they stayed in Nepal. Later on India laid its hands off from the issue. Whenever Government of India was requested to hold talks over the Bhutanese refugees issue, it raised its hands by saying that this was a bilateral issue between Nepal and Bhutan. Bhutan shares border with India, not Nepal. Any one who leaves Bhutan will obviously enter India first. It is a known fact that India has itself created this problem for Nepal. Nepal being a small and weaker state cannot force India, which has repeatedly ignored its request to resolve the refugee crisis.
In the last 17 years, whenever the Bhutanese refugees tried to return home risking their lives, they were stopped at Indo-Nepal border at Mechi bridge by the Indian security forces. When they tried to proceed further, they were beaten up. The most recent incident in this series is that of May 28, 2007 when one refugee was killed in police firing and hundreds of them were injured.
I had organized a conference on the Bhutanese refugee issue in 1991 along with friends from Nepal and India. At that time, a booklet entitled 'Human Rights in Bhutan' was also published. Many distinguished people including Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, Justice Ajit Singh Bains and Swami Agnivesh participated. In order to create a mass consensus on the issue, an organization named 'Bhutan Solidarity' was formed towards the end of the conference and Justice Krishna Iyer was made its patron. I was asked to take the responsibility of convener. A study team from this organization in 1995 prepared a detailed report after a tour to the refugee camps. I tried my level best to contribute in resolving the issue till May 2006 in this capacity. From June 2006 onwards, MLA from MP and young farmer leader Dr. Sunilam is holding the position of convener.
As per UNHCR, the total number of refugees in the camps of Nepal is One lakh six thousand. The survey carried out by Bhutan Solidarity in 1996 revealed that more than 40,000 refugees are living in India (West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) and they have not been given the status of refugee by UNHCR. As per 1950 Friendship Treaty between India and Bhutan, government of India refused to give these people refugee status. They too are living in worst conditions.
A team from 'Bhutan Solidarity' visited the refugee camps again in August 2006 and found that 40 percent of the refugees were in the age group of 17-40. They are losing patience after the failure of many peaceful attempts to go back home and feeling that this problem can not be resolved through peaceful means. They have also been inspired by the Maoist people's war in Nepal and this thought is getting concretized in their minds that justice will only prevail through the barrel of the gun. In spite of being aware of everything, Bhutan government and government of India have maintained an indifferent attitude. It seems as if both the governments are waiting for the refugees to take the violent path which will give them an excuse to unleash repression.
I feel that the Bhutanese refugee crisis can be resolved in a peaceful way provided the intellectuals of India raise their voice and stand behind them in solidarity with their struggle. The area which relates with these refugees is politically very sensitive. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Jhapa, close to West Bengal, have been experiencing violent movements since long but the arms here are not in the hands of revolutionary forces, but in the hands of separatists, anarchists and state sponsored armed groups. In this scenario, if the Bhutanese refugees take to armed struggle, their voice will be lost and it will pave the way for their repression. In nutshell armed struggle waged by the Bhutanese refugees to solve their problem will prove to be suicidal at this stage.
Monarchy in Bhutan is at the weakest stage. As I said earlier, it is supported only by India. It has somehow sustained itself by giving offerings to the high officials of Ministry of External Affairs and a crop of selected journalists. This is the reason why every Foreign Minister- be it I.K. Gujral, Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh or Pranab Mukherjee- has 'off the record' given same argument that the Indian support to Bhutan is only due to India's 'geo-political compulsions'.
In the last couple of years, US policy has been a fiasco in Nepal. Despite US disliking, the political parties of Nepal and Maoists reached a 12 point understanding in Nov 2005, signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Maoists entered the parliament and they even joined the interim government. Inspite of all this, Maoists are still listed as 'terrorist' in the US records. Having seen utter failure of its policy in Nepal, US has now shifted its focus on Bhutan since it wants to consolidate its position in South Asia by hook or crook. US had announced last year that it will undertake to settle 60,000 Bhutanese refugees on its own and assist to settle 10,000 each in Australia and Canada. This announcement revealed many things. Firstly, it tried to create a divide among the refugees. Secondly, it tried to prevent the ideology of violence taking an organized form among them and lastly, assured the King of Bhutan that it will help him get rid of the mounting problem of refugees. This is what US aims at. While this proposal seems to be providing some relief to the King at the same time the debate on this proposal has for the first time in 17 years generated violent conflicts among the refugees. It is interesting to know that hardly 10 percent refugees are in favor of US proposal. One more incident is noteworthy. King of Bhutan Jigme Singhe Wangchuk had announced to abdicate the throne voluntarily in 2008 in favor of his son Prince Khesar Singhe Wangchuk. But suddenly US came in picture and through its efforts got the process completed much earlier, that is in May 2007 itself. Prince Khesar is now the King of Bhutan and US has full faith in him.
The objective of writing this letter is to inform you about the plight of Bhutanese refugees and government of India's position in this regard as well as to appeal you to give a serious thought on the possible ways to resolve the problem. This problem can surely be resolved peacefully and a terrible bloodshed can be avoided in this region if the intellectuals, human rights activists and active pro-democracy people of Indian political parties think seriously over this issue. If our endeavour fails to bring change the government of India's attitude of indifference, then the movement of Bhutanese refugees taking a violent turn can not be termed as illegitimate. But I have strong feeling that even a small effort on our part can bring a peaceful solution to the problem.
Your suggestions on this issue are invited so that we can sit together in the near future and find out a way in the coming days.
Yours,
Anand Swaroop VermaQ-63, Sector-12, Noida – 201301Phone: 0120-4356504, 9810720714email: vermada@hotmail.com
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*http://www.deshbandhu.co.in/newsdetail/1696/9/196
A People's Movement in Nepal
The promise and the perils
REECHA UPADHYAY, Jul 18, 2006
The Nepali revolution of spring 2006 was a formidable show of a true people's movement. The strength of the Nepali civil society was apparent in the outpouring of a massive number of diverse peoples, with a strong contingent of youth, onto the streets. Today, for the first time in Nepali history, there exists a possibility of a new constitutional parliament and Nepal is finally a secular nation. The palace has lost its power and the political parties have perhaps realized their fundamental role to serve the people rather than their own interests.
The face of the revolution was young but, more significantly, the Kathmandu elite also took to the streets. The image of middle-aged women in saris, spiky-haired youth, and old-school political activists created a much different collage than that of the young, rural Maoist revolutionaries clutching their guns in the countryside.
The United States recently applauded the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) on its democratic achievements. It scolded the Maoists to disarm and enter the political arena so as to not establish a single-party system in Nepal (although until recently the United States itself supported the autocratic monarchy). The political parties have urged the rebels to restore the cease-fire in order to move forward with the peace process. However, the Maoists are holding strong at the bargaining table, as the cease-fire deal rests on a vulnerable stand. The Maoists have threatened to end it until the language in the new constitution reflects their demand of completely stripping the monarchy of power and honor.
* NEPAL'S HISTORY OF AUTOCRACY
A true analysis of Nepal's people's democratic revolution needs to be situated in a complex history of Nepali politics. As much as the analysis of the recent accomplishments are being characterized as an organic upsurge of the people, the fact remains that Nepali politics of the last 10 years were critical for the civil society to erupt in the way it did.
Firstly, Nepali history has had many bloody palace back-stabbings and takeovers. The Western media packaged the June 2001 massacre as a story from the old-world Himalayan kingdom with protagonist royal brothers, evil queens, and deranged princes. But if one is to read Nepali history, the 2001 massacre only follows a foundation of autocracy and fascism in the royal palace. Nepal's autocratic history, like that of other poor South Asian nations, has been upheld by the regional powers that see the poor nations in the region as nothing more than their playpens. The support of the palace by India and China (and subsequently the United States) have played a critical part in Nepal's failed development. It enabled the two royal lineages in Kathmandu (the Shahs and the Ranas) to control most of the country's operations and in the process built their own familial wealth.
The powerful people's movement of today arises from a disturbed political context in Nepal that had been incubating for more than a decade. The 1990 revolution was a milestone when the citizenry realized the power of a mass movement. However, critical mistakes of the leaders of the 1990 uprising allowed the current king to dissolve the parliament and maintain control over the army. It also created a highly polarized political situation in the country. While the mainstream political parties were tangled into a tight knot of deceit and corruption, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) mobilized the poor in the countryside, who until then were invisible in Kathmandu politics. In 1996 the CPN-Maoist took it a step further and led an armed insurgency in the countryside.
* POOR FOLKS USED AS PAWNS
Like all armed movements, Nepal's poor people's revolution has not been without contradictions and mistakes. Thousands of innocent people have sacrificed their lives, and thousands more have been caught in the middle. Violence, fear, extortions, detentions, mass killings, rape, and murder are part of the vocabulary of the insurgency. Both the Nepali state and the Maoists are guilty of mistakes with both sides having used the poor as pawns.
However, the political ramifications of the communist movement in the countryside must be acknowledged as a major catalyst for the Kathmandu uprising. Specifically, the 12-Point Agreement between the Maoists and the SPA has set the political language and terrain in Nepal. One of the primary demands of the Agreement was the end to the constitutional monarchy and to define Nepal as a secular nation. The rebels have successfully instigated numerous general strikes, creating a precedence of mass organizing in Kathmandu. All of which were essential in organizing millions to keep filling up the streets, and seeing possibilities to enter the royal palace.
Until the spring revolution, the city and the country had been experiencing a political face-off: on one hand there was the borderline fascistic antics of the monarchy, while on the other, idealistic but perhaps not sustainable strength of the countryside rebellion. This created opportune moments for the political parties to organize, propelling the civil society to realize they had nothing to lose but their chains and make history. The Kathmandu elite ideologically disagreed with the Maoist revolution, but saw the need for a radical change in the country. A severe dichotomy existed in the country, it was either follow the path of radical change or continue to be silenced by the palace.
Nepal's splintered identity, perhaps for the first time in history, was united on a sense of urgency and people from all walks of life chose change rather than docility. And most importantly, the mass media, locally and internationally, supported the people. This was instrumental in sustaining the huge numbers of people on the street. Despite the monarchy's attempt to cut off telephone lines, people organized by sending mass text messages. It was truly 21st-century organizing.
Today, Kathmandu is calm again and there is a sense of real possibilities. A new constitution will be written, and already the old language of Nepal's identity is being discarded. The army is no longer royalty, and Hinduism has finally been abandoned as a source of governance. But the question now is how will Nepal engage with the newly founded democratic government? The foreign-aid community is ecstatic that the political parties have joined the rest of the "free" world. How will the political parties, who are not only up against the forces of contemporary democratic governance but are also pressured by communist ideologies of the Maoists, juggle the two contradictory forces? What will Nepal's economic policy look like when both India and China are awaiting with their arms crossed to get the green light to continue invading the local economy? Fundamentally, what remains to be seen is how the SPA will hold up to the free market while bowing to Prachanda Path, the ideology of the CPN-Maoist.
Reecha Upadhyay works as the communications and development associate at Urban Agenda. She is a graduate of the New School University's International Affairs program and has worked in Nepal, India, and Thailand. This commentary was first published in SAMAR.
http://www.indiacurrents.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=38467566586805465f3bcafaf464d35d
Nepal
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This article is about the country. For other uses, see Nepal (disambiguation).
| संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल Sanghiya Loktāntrik Ganatantra Nepāl Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | ||||||
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| Motto: जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी(Devanāgarī) "Mother and Motherland are Greater than Heaven" | ||||||
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| Kathmandu (Nepali: काठमाडौं) | ||||||
| Maithili, Nepal Bhasa, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Gurung, Tamang, Magar, Awadhi, Sherpa, Kiranti, Limbu and other 100 different indigenous languages. | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | Kingdom declared | December 21, 1768 | ||||
| - | State declared | January 15, 2007 | ||||
| - | Republic declared | May 28, 2008 | ||||
| - | Total | 56,827 sq mi | ||||
| - | 2.8 | |||||
| - | 2009 estimate | |||||
| - | 2007 census | 28,875,140 | ||||
| - | 199.3/km2 (56th) 518.1/sq mi | |||||
| 2009 estimate | ||||||
| - | Total | $33.643 billion[3] | ||||
| - | $1,205[3] | |||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2009 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $12.615 billion[3] | ||||
| - | $452[3] | |||||
| Gini (2003–04) | 47.2 (high) | |||||
| HDI (2007) | ||||||
| - | Summer (DST) | not observed (UTC+5:45) | ||||
| left | ||||||
| 977 |
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Nepal (pronounced /nəˈpɑːl/ nə-PAHL, /-pɔːl/ -PAWL;[5] Nepali: नेपाल 
Nepal is a country of highly diverse and rich geography, culture, and religions. The mountainous north has eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including the highest, Sagarmatha, known in English as Mount Everest. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized. It contains over 240 peaks more than 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level.[7]
By some measures, Hinduism is practised by a larger majority of people in Nepal than in any other nation.[8] Buddhism, though a minority faith in the country, is linked historically with Nepal as the birthplace of the Buddha. About half of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.[9]
A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal was ruled by the Shah dynasty of kings from 1768, when Prithvi Narayan Shah unified its many small kingdoms. In 2006, however, a decade-long People's Revolution by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) along with several weeks of mass protests by all major political parties of Nepal culminated in a peace accord, and the ensuing elections for the constituent assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the abdication of the last Nepali monarch Gyanendra Shah and the establishment of a federal democratic republic in May 28, 2008.[10] The first President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, was sworn in on 23 July 2008.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Nepal Bhasa origin
The word "Nepal" is believed by scholars to be derived from the word "Nepa:" which refers to the Newar Kingdom, the present day Kathmandu Valley. With Sanskritization, the Newar word Nepa became Nepal.[11] The Newars of present day Nepal, refer to all the inhabitants of Kathmandu valley and its peripheries (called "Nepa:") before the advent of Shah dynasty.
[edit] Ne Muni
History and local traditions say that a Hindu sage named "Ne" established himself at the valley of Kathmandu during prehistoric times and that the word "Nepal" came into existence as the place protected ("pala" in Sanskrit) by the sage "Ne". The etymology of the name Nepal means, "the country looked after by Ne".[12]
He used to perform religious ceremonies at Teku, the confluence of the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers.[13] He is said by legend to have selected a pious cowherd to be the first of the many kings of the Gopala Dynasty.[12] These rulers are said to have ruled Nepal for over 500 years.[14] He selected Bhuktaman to be the first king in the line of the Gopal (Cowherd) Dynasty.[13] The Gopal dynasty ruled for 621 years. Yakshya Gupta was the last king of this dynasty.
According to Skanda Purana, a rishi called "Ne" or "Nemuni" used to live in Himalaya.[15] In the Pashupati Purana, he is mentioned as a saint and a protector.[16] He is said to have practiced penance at the Bagmati and Kesavati rivers[17] and to have taught his doctrines there too.[12]
[edit] History
Main article: History of Nepal
[edit] Prehistory
Kathmandu Valley
Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people have been living in the Himalayan region for at least 9,000 years. It appears that Kirat ethnicity people were the first people to settle in Nepal and ruled Nepal for about 2,500 years.[18]
[edit] Ancient
Terai News writes, "Nepal has been highlighted for the last several centuries in Indian Sanskrit literature like 'Skand Purana'. 'Skanda Purana' has a separate volume known as 'Nepal Mahatmya', which explains in more details about the beauty and power of Nepal."[19] Nepal is also mentioned in Hindu scriptures such as the Narayana Puja[20] and the Atharva Siras (800-600 BC).[20] Around 1000 BC, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose in the region. From one of these, the Shakya confederation, arose a prince named Siddharta Gautama (563–483 BC), who later renounced his royalty to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the Buddha ("the enlightened one"). The 7th Kirata king, Jitedasti, was on the throne in the Nepal valley at the time. By 250 BC, the region came under the influence of the Mauryan Empire of northern India, and later became a vassal state under the Gupta Empire in the fourth century AD. In the fifth century, rulers called the Licchavis governed the majority of its area. There is a good and quite detailed description of the kingdom of Nepal in the account of the renowned Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk Xuanzang, dating from c. 645 AD.[21][22]
The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century and was followed by a Newari era, from 879, although the extent of their control over the entire country is uncertain. By the late 11th century, southern Nepal came under the influence of the Chalukaya Empire of southern India. Under the Chalukayas, Nepal's religious establishment changed as the kings patronised Hinduism instead of the prevailing Buddhism.
[edit] Medieval
By the early 12th century, leaders were emerging whose names ended with the Sanskrit suffix malla ("wrestler"). Initially their reign was marked by upheaval, but the kings consolidated their power and ruled over the next 200 years; by the late 14th century, much of the country began to come under a unified rule. This unity was short-lived; in 1482 the region was carved into three kingdoms: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur.
[edit] Kingdom of Nepal
Main article: Kingdom of Nepal
Hindu temples in Patan, capital of one of the three medieval Newar kingdoms
After centuries of petty rivalry between the three kingdoms, in the mid-18th century, Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkha King, set out to unify the kingdoms. Seeking arms and aid from India, and buying the neutrality of bordering Indian kingdoms, he embarked on his mission in 1765. After several bloody battles and sieges, he managed to unify the Kathmandu Valley three years later in 1768. However, an actual battle never took place to conquer the Kathmandu valley; it was taken over by Prithvi Narayan and his troops without any effort, during Indra Jatra, a festival of Newars, when all the valley's citizens were celebrating the festival. This event marked the birth of the modern nation of Nepal.
In 1788 the Nepalese overran Sikkim and sent a punitive raid into Tibet. Kangra in northern India was also occupied by the Nepalese. In 1809, Ranjit Singh the ruler of the Sikh state in the Punjab, had intervened and drove the Nepalese army east of the Satluj river.[23]
Statue of a Gurkha soldier
At its maximum extent, Greater Nepal extended from the Tista River in the east, to Kangara, across the Sutlej River in the west as well as further south into the Terai plains and north of the Himalayas than at present. A dispute and subsequent war with Tibet over the control of mountain passes forced the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy reparations to China.
Rivalry between Nepal and the British East India Company over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal eventually led to the Anglo-Nepalese War (1815–16). At first the British underestimated the Nepalese and were badly defeated until committing more military resources than they had anticipated needing. They were greatly impressed by the valor and competence of their adversaries. Thus began the reputation of "Gurkhas" as fierce and ruthless soldiers. The war ended in the Treaty of Sugauli, under which Nepal ceded recently captured portions of Sikkim and lands in Terai as well as the right to recruit soldiers.
Factionalism inside the royal family had led to a period of instability. In 1846 a plot was discovered revealing that the reigning queen had planned to overthrow Jung Bahadur Rana, a fast-rising military leader. This led to the Kot Massacre; armed clashes between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen led to the execution of several hundred princes and chieftains around the country. Jung Bahadur Rana emerged victorious and founded the Rana lineage.
The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas were staunchly pro-British and assisted them during the Indian Sepoy Rebellion in 1857 (and later in both World Wars). Some parts of the Terai Region were given back to Nepal by the British as a friendly gesture, because of her military help to sustain British control in India during the Sepoy Rebellion. In 1923, the United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, in which Nepal's independence was recognized by the UK.
Nepalese royalty in the 1920s
Slavery was abolished in Nepal in 1924.[24] Nevertheless debt bondage even involving debtors' children has been a persistent social problem in the Terai.
In the late 1940s, newly emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties in Nepal were critical of the Rana autocracy. Meanwhile, with the assertion of Chinese control in Tibet in the 1950s, India sought to counterbalance the perceived military threat from its northern neighbour by taking pre-emptive steps to assert more influence in Nepal. India sponsored both King Tribhuvan (ruled 1911-55) as Nepal's new ruler in 1951 and a new government, mostly comprising the Nepali Congress Party, thus terminating Rana hegemony in the kingdom.
After years of power wrangling between the king and the government, King Mahendra (ruled 1955-72) scrapped the democratic experiment in 1959, and a "partyless" panchayat system was made to govern Nepal until 1989, when the "Jan Andolan" (People's Movement) forced King Birendra (ruled 1972-2001) to accept constitutional reforms and to establish a multiparty parliament that took seat in May 1991.[25] In 1991–92, Bhutan expelled roughly 100,000 ethnic Nepalis, most of whom have been living in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal ever since.[26]
In 1996, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) started a bid to replace the royal parliamentary system with a people's socialist republic by violent means. This led to the long Nepal Civil War and more than 12,000 deaths. On June 1, 2001, there was a massacre in the royal palace. King Birendra, Queen Aiswarya, Crown Prince Dipendra and seven other members of the royal family were killed. Dipendra was accused of patricide and of committing suicide thereafter. This outburst was alleged to have been Dipendra's response to his parents' refusal to accept his choice of wife. Nevertheless there are speculation and doubts among Nepalese citizens about who was responsible.
Following the carnage, Birendra's brother Gyanendra inherited the throne. On February 1, 2005, Gyanendra dismissed the entire government and assumed full executive powers to quash the violent Maoist movement,[25] but this initiative was unsuccessful because a stalemate had developed where the Maoists were firmly entrenched in large expanses of countryside yet could not dislodge the military numerous towns and the largest cities. In September 2005, the Maoists declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire to negotiate.
In response to the 2006 democracy movement King Gyanendra agreed to relinquish sovereign power to the people. On April 24, 2006 the dissolved House of Representatives was reinstated. Using its newly acquired sovereign authority, on May 18, 2006 the House of Representatives unanimously voted to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a secular state, ending its time-honoured official status as a Hindu Kingdom. On December 28, 2007, a bill was passed in parliament to amend Article 159 of the constitution — replacing "Provisions regarding the King" by "Provisions of the Head of the State" - declaring Nepal a federal republic, and thereby abolishing the monarchy.[27] The bill came into force on May 28, 2008, as the constituent assembly overwhelmingly voted to abolish royal rule.[28]
[edit] Republic
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly election held on April 10, 2008, and formed a coalition government which included most of the parties in the CA. Although acts of violence occurred during the pre-electoral period, election observers noted that the elections themselves were markedly peaceful and "well-carried out."[29]
The newly elected Assembly met in Kathmandu on May 28, 2008, and, after a polling of 564 constituent Assembly members, 560 voted to form a new government,[28][30] with the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which had four members in the assembly, registering a dissent note. At that point, it was declared that Nepal had become a secular and inclusive democratic republic,[31] with the government announcing a three-day public holiday from May 28 to 30. The King was thereafter given 15 days to vacate the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, to re-open it as a public museum.
Nonetheless, political tensions and consequent power-sharing battles have continued in Nepal. In May 2009, the Maoist-led government was toppled and another coalition government with all major political parties barring the Maoists was formed. Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) was made the Prime Minister of the coalition government.
[edit] Geography
Main articles: Geography of Nepal and Geology of Nepal
Map of Nepal.
Topographic map of Nepal.
Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, 800 kilometres (497 mi) long and 200 kilometres (124 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 km2 (56,827 sq mi). See List of territories by size for the comparative size of Nepal.
Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: the Mountain, Hill, Siwalik region and Terai Regions. These ecological belts run east-west and are vertically intersected by Nepal's major, north to south flowing river systems.
The southern lowland plains or Terai bordering India are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic plains. They were formed and are fed by three major Himalayan rivers: the Kosi, the Narayani, and the Karnali as well as smaller rivers rising below the permanent snowline. This region has a subtropical to tropical climate. The outermost range of foothills called Shiwalik or Churia Range cresting at 700 to 1,000 metres (2,297 to 3,281 ft) marks the limit of the Gangetic Plain, however broad, low valleys called Inner Tarai (Bhitri Tarai Uptyaka) lie north of these foothills in several places.
Gosainkunda Lake in Langtang.
The Hill Region (Pahad) abuts the mountains and varies from 800 to 4,000 metres (2,625 to 13,123 ft) in altitude with progression from subtropical climates below 1,200 metres (3,937 ft) to alpine climates above 3,600 metres (11,811 ft). The Mahabharat Lekh reaching 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,921 to 9,843 ft) is the southern limit of this region, with subtropical river valleys and "hills" alternating to the north of this range. Population density is high in valleys but notably less above 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) and very low above 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) where snow occasionally falls in winter.
The Mountain Region (Parbat), situated in the Great Himalayan Range, makes up the northern part of Nepal. It contains the highest elevations in the world including 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) height Mount Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali) on the border with China. Seven other of the world's eight thousand metre peaks are in Nepal or on its border with China: Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu.
The arid and barren Himalayan landscape.
Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to the altitudes. The tropical and subtropical zones lie below 1,200 metres (3,937 ft), the temperate zone 1,200 to 2,400 metres (3,937 to 7,874 ft), the cold zone 2,400 to 3,600 metres (7,874 to 11,811 ft), the subarctic zone 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,811 to 14,436 ft), and the Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,436 ft).
Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in the winter and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns. In a land once thickly forested, deforestation is a major problem in all regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.
Nepal is popular for mountaineering, containing some of the highest and most challenging mountains in the world, including Mount Everest. Technically, the south-east ridge on the Nepali side of the mountain is easier to climb; so, most climbers prefer to trek to Everest through Nepal. Morever Nepal has 8 of the top 10 highest mountains of the world with postcard beauty.
[edit] Neotectonics
The collision between the Indian subcontinent and the Eurasian continent, which started in Paleogene time and continues today, produced the Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau, a spectacular modern example of the effects of plate tectonics. Nepal lies completely within this collision zone, occupying the central sector of the Himalayan arc, nearly one third of the 2,400 km (1,500 mi)-long Himalayas.[32][33][34][35][36][37]
The Indian plate continues to move north relative to Asia at the rate of approximately 50 mm (2.0 in) per year.[38] Given the great magnitudes of the blocks of the Earth's crust involved, this is remarkably fast, about twice the speed at which human fingernails grow. As the strong Indian continental crust subducts beneath the relatively weak Tibetan crust, it pushes up the Himalayan mountains. This collision zone has accommodated huge amounts of crustal shortening as the rock sequences slide one over another.
Erosion of the Himalayas is a very important source of sediment, which flows via several great rivers (the Indus to the Indian Ocean, and the Ganges and Brahmaputra river system) to the Bay of Bengal.[39]
[edit] Environment
The dramatic differences in elevation found in Nepal result in a variety of biomes, from tropical savannas along the Indian border, to subtropical broadleaf and coniferous forests in the Hill Region, to temperate broadleaf and coniferous forests on the slopes of the Himalaya, to montane grasslands and shrublands and rock and ice at the highest elevations.
At the lowest elevations we find the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion. These form a mosaic with the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests, which occur from 500 to 1,000 metres (1,600 to 3,300 ft) and include the Inner Terai Valleys. Himalayan subtropical pine forests occur between 1,000 and 2,000 metres (3,300 and 6,600 ft).
Above these elevations, the biogeography of Nepal is generally divided from east to west by the Gandaki River. Ecoregions to the east tend to receive more precipitation and to be more species-rich. Those to the west are drier with fewer species.
From 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft), we find temperate broadleaf forests: the eastern and western Himalayan broadleaf forests. From 3,000 to 4,000 metres (9,800 to 13,000 ft) are the eastern and western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. To 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) are the eastern and western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows.
[edit] Subdivisions
Main articles: Regions of Nepal, Zones of Nepal, and Districts of Nepal
Subdivisions of Nepal.
Nepal is divided into 14 zones and 75 districts, grouped into 5 development regions. Each district is headed by a permanent chief district officer responsible for maintaining law and order and coordinating the work of field agencies of the various government ministries. The 5 regions and 14 zones are:
- Eastern Region (Purwanchal)
- Central Region (Madhyamanchal)
- Western Region (Pashchimanchal)
- Mid-Western Region (Madhya Pashchimanchal)
- Far-Western Region (Sudur Pashchimanchal)
[edit] Largest Cities
- The 10 largest cities (by population) in Nepal are as follows (information can be found here [40]):
- Kathmandu (Pop.: 1,442,271)
- Pokhara (Pop.: 200,000)
- Patan (Pop.: 183,310)
- Biratnagar (Pop.: 182,324)
- Birgunj (Pop.: 133,238)
- Dharan Bazar (Pop.: 108,600)
- Bharatpur (Pop.: 107,157)
- Janakpur (Pop.: 93,767)
- Dhangarhi (Pop.: 92,294)
- Butwal (Pop.: 91,733)
[edit] Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Nepal
Flag of Nepal
Nepal has seen rapid political changes during the last two decades. Until 1990, Nepal was a monarchy running under the executive control of the king. Faced with a Communist movement against the absolute monarchy, King Birendra, in 1990, agreed to large-scale political reforms by creating a parliamentary monarchy with the king as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of the government. Nepal has also been noted for its recent speed of development, such as being one of the few countries in Asia to abolish the death penalty[41] and the first country in Asia to rule in favor of same-sex marriage, which the government has a seven-person committee studying after a November 2008 ruling by the nation's Supreme Court, which ordered full rights for LGBT individuals, including the right to marry.[42]
Nepal's legislature was bicameral, consisting of a House of Representatives called the Pratinidhi Sabha and a National Council called the Rastriya Sabha. The House of Representatives consisted of 205 members directly elected by the people. The National Council had 60 members: ten nominated by the king, 35 elected by the House of Representatives, and the remaining 15 elected by an electoral college made up of chairs of villages and towns. The legislature had a five-year term but was dissolvable by the king before its term could end. All Nepali citizens 18 years and older became eligible to vote.
The executive comprised the King and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet). The leader of the coalition or party securing the maximum seats in an election was appointed as the Prime Minister. The Cabinet was appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Governments in Nepal tended to be highly unstable, falling either through internal collapse or parliamentary dissolution by the monarch, on the recommendation of the prime minister, according to the constitution; no government has survived for more than two years since 1991.
The movement in April 2006 brought about a change in the nation's governance: an interim constitution was promulgated, with the King giving up power, and an interim House of Representatives was formed with Maoist members after the new government held peace talks with the Maoist rebels. The number of parliamentary seats was also increased to 330. In April 2007, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) joined the interim government of Nepal.
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On April 10, 2008, the first election in Nepal for the constitution assembly took place. The Maoist party led the poll results but failed to gain a simple majority in the parliament.[43]
On December 10, 2007, the interim parliament passed a bill that would make Nepal a federal republic, with the Prime Minister becoming head of state. On May 28, 2008, lawmakers in Nepal legally abolished the monarchy and declared the country a republic, ending 239 years of royal rule in the Himalayan nation. The newly elected assembly, led by the former communist rebels, adopted the resolution at its first meeting by an overwhelming majority. King Gyanendra was given 15 days to leave the former Royal Palace in central Kathmandu by the Nepalese Constituent Assembly. He left the former Royal Palace on June 11.[44]
On June 26, 2008, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala tendered his resignation to the Nepalese Constituent Assembly, which is also functioning as the Nepalese Parliament; however, a new Prime Minister has yet to be elected by the Nepalese Constituent Assembly.
On July 19, 2008, the first round of voting for the election of the country's president and vice president took place in the Constituent Assembly. Parmanand Jha became the first vice president of Nepal. However, the two presidential frontrunners, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav of Nepali Congress and the Maoist-backed candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh, both failed to gain the minimum 298 votes needed to be elected, with Yadav receiving 283 votes and Singh receiving 270. 578 out of 594 CA members registered in the voter list had cast their votes, of which 24 were invalid.
On July 21, 2008, the second round of voting was held. Yadav received 308 of the 590 votes cast, securing his election as president.[45]
On August 15, 2008, Maoist leader Prachanda (Pushpa Kamal Dahal) was elected Prime Minister of Nepal, the first since the country's transition from a monarchy to a republic. On May 4, 2009, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigned over on-going conflicts over sacking of the Army chief.
[edit] Military and foreign affairs
Main articles: Military of Nepal and Foreign relations of Nepal
A member of the Nepalese Quick Reactionary Force (QRF).
Nepal's military consists of the Nepalese Army, which includes the Nepalese Army Air Service (the air force unit under it.) Nepalese Police Force is the civilian police and the Armed Police Force Nepal[46] is the paramilitary force. Service is voluntary and the minimum age for enlistment is 18 years. Nepal spends $99.2 million (2004) on its military—1.5% of its GDP. Many of the equipment and arms are imported from India. Consequently, the USA provided M16s M4s and other Colt weapons to combat communist (Maoist) insurgents. As of now, the standard-issue battle rifle of the Nepalese army is the Colt M16.[47]
Nepal has close ties with both of its neighbours, India and China. In accordance with a long-standing treaty, Indian and Nepalese citizens may travel to each others' countries without a passport or visa. Nepalese citizens may work in India without legal restriction.
Although Nepal and India typically have close ties, from time to time Nepal becomes caught up in the problematic Sino-Indian relationship. Recently, China has been asking Nepal to curb protests in Nepal against China's Policy on Tibet,[48] and on April 17, 2008, police arrested over 500 Tibetan protestors[49] citing a need to maintain positive relations with China.
[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Nepal
Terraced farming on the foothills of the Himalayas.
A Rs.500 banknote of The Republic of Nepal. For economical reasons, the watermark on the right still contains a picture of King Gyanendra, obscured by printing a rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal.[50]
Nepal's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2008 was estimated at over US$12 billion (adjusted to Nominal GDP), making it the 115th-largest economy in the world. Agriculture accounts for about 40% of Nepal's GDP, services comprise 41% and industry 22%. Agriculture employs 76% of the workforce, services 18% and manufacturing/craft-based industry 6%. Agricultural produce — mostly grown in the Terai region bordering India — includes tea, rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industry mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce, including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.
Its workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labour. The spectacular landscape and diverse, exotic cultures of Nepal represent considerable potential for tourism, but growth in this hospitality industry has been stifled by recent political events. The rate of unemployment and underemployment approaches half of the working-age population. Thus many Nepali citizens move to India in search of work; the Gulf countries and Malaysia being new sources of work. Nepal receives US$50 million a year through the Gurkha soldiers who serve in the Indian and British armies and are highly esteemed for their skill and bravery. The total remittance value is worth around US$1 billion, including money sent from the Persian Gulf and Malaysia, who combined employ around 700,000 Nepali citizens.
A long-standing economic agreement underpins a close relationship with India. The country receives foreign aid from India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, China, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries. Poverty is acute; per-capita income is less than US$470.[51] The distribution of wealth among the Nepalis is consistent with that in many developed and developing countries: the highest 10% of households control 39.1% of the national wealth and the lowest 10% control only 2.6%.
The government's budget is about US$1.153 billion, with expenditures of $1.789 billion (FY05/06). The Nepalese rupee has been tied to the Indian Rupee at an exchange rate of 1.6 for many years. Since the loosening of exchange rate controls in the early 1990s, the black market for foreign exchange has all but disappeared. The inflation rate has dropped to 2.9% after a period of higher inflation during the 1990s.
Nepal's exports of mainly carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods and grain total $822 million. Import commodities of mainly gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products and fertilizer total US$2 bn. India (53.7%), the US (17.4%), and Germany (7.1%) are its main export partners. Nepal's import partners include India (47.5%), the United Arab Emirates (11.2%), China (10.7%), Saudi Arabia (4.9%), and Singapore (4%).[52]
[edit] Infrastructure
Nepal remains isolated from the world's major land, air and sea transport routes although, within the country, aviation is in a better state, with 48 airports, ten of them with paved runways; flights are frequent and support a sizable traffic. The hilly and mountainous terrain in the northern two-thirds of the country has made the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. There were just over 8,500 km (5,282 mi) of paved roads, and one 59-km railway line in the south in 2003. There is only one reliable road route from India to the Kathmandu Valley.
The only practical seaport of entry for goods bound for Kathmandu is Calcutta in India. Internally, the poor state of development of the road system (22 of 75 administrative districts lack road links) makes volume distribution unrealistic. Besides having landlocked, rugged geography, few tangible natural resources and poor infrastructure, the long-running civil war is also a factor in stunting the economic growth.[53]
There is less than one telephone per 19 people. Landline telephone services are not adequate nationwide but are concentrated in cities and district headquarters. Mobile telephony is in a reasonable state in most parts of the country with increased accessibility and affordability; there were around 175,000 Internet connections in 2005. After the imposition of the "state of emergency", intermittent losses of service-signals were reported, but uninterrupted Internet connections have resumed after Nepal's second major people's revolution to overthrow the King's absolute power.[52]
[edit] Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Nepal
The Population Density map of Nepal.
The Nepalese are descendants of three major migrations from India, Tibet, and North Burma and Yunnan via Assam.
Among the earliest inhabitants were the Kirat of east mid-region, Newar of the Kathmandu Valley and aboriginal Tharu in the southern Terai region. The ancestors of the Brahman and Chetri caste groups came from India's present Kumaon, Garhwal and Kashmir regions, while other ethnic groups trace their origins to North Burma and Yunnan and Tibet, e.g. the Gurung and Magar in the west, Rai and Limbu in the east (from Yunnan and north Burma via Assam), and Sherpa and Bhutia in the north (from Tibet).
In the Terai, a part of the Ganges Basin with 20% of the land, much of the population is physically and culturally similar to the Indo-Aryans of northern India. Indo-Aryan and East Asian looking mixed people live in the hill region. Indo-Aryan ancestry has been a source of prestige in Nepal for centuries, and the ruling families have been of Indo-Aryan and Hindu background.[54] The mountainous highlands are sparsely populated. Kathmandu Valley, in the middle hill region, constitutes a small fraction of the nation's area but is the most densely populated, with almost 5% of the population.
Nepal is a multilingual society. These data are largely derived from Nepal's 2001 census results published in the Nepal Population Report 2002.
According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Nepal hosted a population of refugees and asylum seekers in 2007 numbering approximately 130,000. Of this population, approximately 109,200 persons were from Bhutan and 20,500 from People's Republic of China.[55][56] The government of Nepal restricted Bhutanese refugees to seven camps in the Jhapa and Morang districts, and refugees were not permitted to work in most professions.[55] At present, the United States is working towards resettling more than 60,000 of these refugees in the US.[26]
Languages Spoken in Nepal.
Data | Size |
Population | 28,676,547 (2005) |
Growth Rate | 2.2% |
Population below 14 Years old | 39% |
Population of age 15 to 64 | 57.3% |
Population above 65 | 3.7% |
The median age (Average) | 20.07 |
The median age (Male) | 19.91 |
The median age (Females) | 20.24 |
Ratio (Male:Female) | 1, 000:1,060 |
Life expectancy (Average) | 59.8 Years |
Life expectancy (Male) | 60.9 |
Life expectancy (Female) | 59.5 |
Literacy Rate (Average) | 53.74% |
Literacy Rate (Male) | 68.51% |
Literacy Rate (Female) | 42.49% |
Despite the migration of a significant section of the population to the southern plains or terai in recent years, the majority of the population still lives in the central highlands. The northern mountains are sparsely populated.
Kathmandu, with a population of around 800,000 (metropolitan area: 1.5 million), is the largest city in the country.
[edit] Languages
Nepal's diverse linguistic heritage evolved from four major language groups: Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman, Mongolian and various indigenous language isolates. The major languages of Nepal (percent spoken as mother tongue) are Nepali (48.61%), Maithili (12.30%), Bhojpuri (7.53%), Tharu (5.86%), Tamang (5.19%), Newari/Nepal Bhasa (3.63%), Magar (3.39%), Awadhi (2.47%), Rai (2.79%), Limbu (1.47%), and Bajjika (1.05%).
Derived from Sanskrit, Nepali has roots in Sanskrit and is written in Devanagari script. Nepali is the official national language and serves as lingua franca among Nepalis of different ethnolinguistic groups. Hindi and related regional dialects Awadhi, Bhojpuri and Maithili are spoken in the southern Terai Region. Hindi is also widely understood by the many Nepalis who have lived in India. Many Nepalis in government and business speak English as well. Dialects of Tibetan are spoken in and north of the higher Himalaya where standard literary Tibetan is widely understood by those with religious education. Local dialects in the Terai and hills are mostly unwritten with efforts underway to develop systems for writing many in Devanagari or the Roman alphabet.
[edit] Religion
Main article: Religion in Nepal
Shaiva-devotees gather at the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Nepal religiosity | ||||
religion | percent | |||
Hinduism | | 80.6% | ||
Buddhism | | 10.7% | ||
Islam | | 4.2% | ||
Mundhum | | 3.6% | ||
Christianity | | 0.5% | ||
Other | | 0.4% |
The overwhelming majority in Nepal follow Hinduism. Shiva is regarded as the guardian deity of the country.[57] Nepal is home to the largest Shiva temple in the world, the famous Pashupatinath Temple, where Hindus from all over the world come for pilgrimage. According to mythology, Sita Devi of the epic Ramayana was born in the Mithila Kingdom of King Janaka Raja.
Near the Indian border, Lumbini, is a Buddhist pilgrimage site and UNESCO World Heritage Site site in the Kapilavastu district. It is held to be the birthplace in about 563 B.C. of Siddhartha Gautama, a Kshatriya caste prince of the Sakya clan, who, as the Buddha Gautama, gave birth to the Buddhist tradition. The holy site of Lumbini is bordered by a large monastic zone, in which only monasteries can be built. All three main branches of Buddhism exist in Nepal and the Newar people have their own branch of the faith. Buddhism is the dominant religion of the thinly populated northern areas, which are inhabited by Tibetan-related peoples, such as the Sherpa.
The Buddha, born as a Hindu, is also said to be a descendant of Vedic Sage Angirasa in many Buddhist texts.[58] The Buddha's family surname is associated with Gautama Maharishi.[59] Differences between Hindus and Buddhists have been minimal in Nepal due to the cultural and historical intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Morever traditionally Buddhism and Hinduism were never two distinct religions in western sense of world. In Nepal, the faiths share common temples and worship common deities. Among other natives of Nepal, those more influenced by Hinduism were the Magar, Sunwar, Limbu and Rai and the Gurkhas.[18] Hindu influence is less prominent among the Gurung, Bhutia, and Thakali groups who employ Buddhist monks for their religious ceremonies.[18][52] Most of the festivals in Nepal are Hindu.[60] The Machendrajatra festival, dedicated to Hindu Shaiva Siddha, is celebrated by many Buddhists in Nepal as a main festival.[61] As it is believed that Ne Muni established Nepal,[62] some important priests in Nepal are called "Tirthaguru Nemuni".
[edit] Health
Main article: Health in Nepal
The fertility rate in Nepal was at 3.7 births per woman in the early 2000s. [63] Public expenditure on health was at 1.5 % of the GDP in 2004.[63] Private expenditure on health was 4.1 % in 2004.[63] In the early 2000s, there were 21 physicians per 100,000 people.[63] Infant mortality was 56 per 1000 life births in 2005.[63]
[edit] Culture
Main article: Culture of Nepal
A typical Nepalese meal is dal-bhat-tarkari. Dal is a spicy lentil soup, served over bhat (boiled rice), served with tarkari (curried vegetables) together with achar (pickles) or chutni (spicy condiment made from fresh ingredients).. The Newar community, however, has its own unique cuisine. It consists of non-vegetarian as well as vegetarian items served with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Mustard oil is the cooking medium and a host of spices, such as cumin, coriander, black peppers, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi (fenugreek), bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chillies, mustard seeds, etc., are used in the cooking. The cuisine served on festivals is generally the best.
Costumed Hindu-girls in Nepal. The two small children represent the god Krishna and his consort Radha. Sitting behind are the god Vishnu and his consort Laxmi.
Main article: Music of Nepal
The Newari Music orchestra consists mainly of percussion instruments, though wind instruments, such as flutes and other similar instruments, are also used. String instruments are very rare. There are songs pertaining to particular seasons and festivals. Paahan chare music is probably the fastest played music whereas the Dapa the slowest. There are certain musical instruments such as Dhimay and Bhusya which are played as instrumental only and are not accompanied with songs. The dhimay music is the loudest one. In the hills, people enjoy their own kind of music, playing saarangi (a string instrument), madal and flute. They also have many popular folk songs known as lok geet and lok dohari.
The Newar dances can be broadly classified into masked dances and non-masked dances. The most representative of Newari dances is Lakhey dance. Almost all the settlements of Newaris organise Lakhey dance at least once a year, mostly in the Goonlaa month. So, they are called Goonlaa Lakhey. However, the most famous Lakhey dance is the Majipa Lakhey dance; it is performed by the Ranjitkars of Kathmandu and the celebration continues for the entire week that contains the full moon of Yenlaa month. The Lakhey are considered to be the saviors of children.
Folklore is an integral part of Nepalese society. Traditional stories are rooted in the reality of day-to-day life, tales of love, affection and battles as well as demons and ghosts and thus reflect local lifestyles, cultures and beliefs. Many Nepalese folktales are enacted through the medium of dance and music.
The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into 12 months. Saturday is the official weekly holiday. Main annual holidays include the National Day, celebrated on the birthday of the king (December 28), Prithvi Jayanti (January 11), Martyr's Day (February 18), and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals such as dashain in autumn, and tihar in late autumn. During tihar, the Newar community also celebrates its New Year as per their local calendar Nepal Sambat.
Most houses in rural lowland of Nepal are made up of a tight bamboo framework and walls of a mud and cow-dung mix. These dwellings remain cool in summer and retain warmth in winter. Houses in the hills are usually made of unbaked bricks with thatch or tile roofing. At high elevations construction changes to stone masonry and slate may be used on roofs.
Nepal's flag is the only national flag in the world that is non-quadrilateral in shape, and one of only two non-rectangular flags in use (the other being the flag of the U.S. state of Ohio). According to its official description, the red in the flag stands for victory in war or courage, and is also color of the rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. Red also stands for aggression. The flag's blue border signifies peace. The curved moon on the flag is a symbol of the peaceful and calm nature of Nepalese, while the sun represents the aggressiveness of Nepalese warriors.
[edit] Education
About two thirds of female adults and one third of male adults are illiterate.[63] Net primary enrolment rate was 74 % in 2005.[63] It now is at about 90 %.[64] In 2009 the World Bank has decided to contribute a further US$130 million towards meeting Nepal's Education for All goals.[64] Nepal has several universities.
[edit] International rankings
Organization | Survey | Ranking |
Institute for Economics and Peace [1] | Global Peace Index[65] | 77 out of 144 |
United Nations Development Programme | Human Development Index | 144 out of 182 |
Transparency International | Corruption Perceptions Index | 143 out of 180 |
World Economic Forum | Global Competitiveness Report | 125 out of 133 |
[edit] See also
| * | Nepal portal |
| * | SAARC portal |
Main article: Outline of Nepal
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ According to Interim Constitution Nepali is only the official language (article 5, point 2). Other languages spoken as the mother tongue in Nepal are the national languages (article 5, point 1). According to article 5, point 3, all languages are accepted as official languages at the regional level. Nepal_Interim_Constitution2007
- ^ Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2009) (PDF). World Population Prospects, Table A.1. 2008 revision. United Nations. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
- ^ a b c d "Nepal". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=558&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=55&pr.y=8. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2009. Human development index trends: Table G". The United Nations. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
- ^ "Merriam-Webster Online". Merriam-webster.com. 2007-04-25. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nepal. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
- ^ "The World Factbook : Rank order population". CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html.
- ^ Shaha (1992), p. 1.
- ^ "CIA Factbook, Nepal, "People" section". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html#People. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ Human Development Indices, Table 3: Human and income poverty, p. 34. Retrieved on 1 June 2009
- ^ "Nepal's first president sworn in". Radio Australia. 2008-07-24. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200807/s2312720.htm?tab=asia.
- ^ Newa-Author:Shrestha, Moolookha Publication
- ^ a b c W.B., P. 34 Land of the Gurkhas
- ^ a b "The Ancient Period". Infoclub.com.np. http://www.infoclub.com.np/nepal/history/history_ancient.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ Balfour, P. 195 Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, :
- ^ Dangol, Amrit (2007-05-06). "Alone In Kathmandu". Alone In Kathmandu. http://www.aloneinkathmandu.com/2007/05/something-about-nepal.html. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ Prasad, P. 4 The life and times of Maharaja Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal
- ^ Khatri, P. 16 The Postage Stamps of Nepal
- ^ a b c "A Country Study: Nepal". Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/nptoc.html. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- ^ Terai News
- ^ a b P. 17 Looking to the Future: Indo-Nepal Relations in Perspective By Lok Raj Baral
- ^ Li, Rongxi (translator). 1995. The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions, pp. 219-220. Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. Berkeley, California. ISBN 1-886439-02-8
- ^ Watters, Thomas. 1904-5. On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India (A.D. 629-645), pp. 83-85. Reprint: Mushiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi. 1973.
- ^ "The Enclosing of Nepal". Countrystudies.us. Source: U.S. Library of Congress.
- ^ Tucci, Giuseppe. (1952). Journey to Mustang, 1952. Trans. by Diana Fussell. 1st Italian edition, 1953; 1st English edition, 1977. 2nd edition revised, 2003, p. 22. Bibliotheca Himalayica. ISBN 99933-0-378-X (South Asia); ISBN 974-524-024-9 (Outside of South Asia).
- ^ a b "Timeline: Nepal". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1166516.stm. Retrieved 2005-09-29.
- ^ a b Bhaumik, Subir (November 7, 2007). "Bhutan refugees are 'intimidated'". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7082586.stm. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ Nepal votes to abolish monarchy - CNN[dead link]
- ^ a b "Nepal votes to abolish monarchy — CNN". BBC News. 2008-05-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ The Carter Center. ""Activities by Country: Nepal"". http://www.cartercenter.org/countries/nepal.html. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ^ http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=148454
- ^ "Nepal abolishes its monarchy". Al Jazeera. May 28, 2008. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0A9B5B1F-5BF2-4ACB-A159-700F21DAD3C4.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
- ^ Beek van der Peter, Xavier Robert, Jean-Louis Mugnier, Matthias Bernet, Pascale Huyghe and Erika Labrin, "Late Miocene- Recent Exhumation of the Central Himalaya and Recycling in the Foreland Basin Assessed by Apatite Fission-Track Thermochronology of Siwalik Sediments, Nepal," Basic research, 18, 413-434, 2006.
- ^ Berger Antoine, Francois Jouanne, Riadm Hassani and Jean Louis Mugnier, "Modelling the Spatial Distribution of Present day Deformation in Nepal: how cylindrical is the Main Himalayan Thrust in Nepal?", Geophys.J.Int., 156, 94-114, 2004.
- ^ Bilham Roger and Michael Jackson,"Constraints on Himalayan Deformation inferred from Vertical Velocity Fields in Nepal and Tibet," Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 99, 897-912, 10 July 1994.
- ^ Chamlagain Deepak and Daigoro Hayashi, "Neotectonic Fault Analysis by 2D Finite Element Modeling for Studying the Himalayan Fold and Thrust belt in Nepal," University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 1-16, 14 July 2006.
- ^ F. Jouanne et al., "Current Shortening Across the Himalayas of Nepal", Geophys.J.Int., 154, 1-14, 2004.
- ^ Pandey M.R, R.P. Tandukar, J.P. Avouac, J. Vergne and Th. Heritier, "Seismotectonics of the Nepal Himalaya from a Local Seismic Network", Journal of Asian Earth Sciences,17, 703-712,1999.
- ^ Bilham et al., 1998; Pandey et al., 1995.
- ^ Summerfield & Hulton, 1994; Hay, 1998.
- ^ "Biggest Cities Nepal". Geonames.org. http://www.geonames.org/NP/largest-cities-in-nepal.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
- ^ "Death Penalty Statistics 2006". Amnestyusa.org. http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGACT500122007&lang=e. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ "Progress in new Republic of Nepal". Starobserver.com.au. 2009-06-16. http://www.starobserver.com.au/soap-box/2009/06/16/progress-in-new-republic-of-nepal/13887. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ "Nepal's election The Maoists triumph". Economist.com. 2008-04-17. http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11057207&fsrc=nwl. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ Nepal's Lawmakers Abolish the Country's Monarchy[dead link]
- ^ http://www.presidentofnepal.com
- ^ "Official Website of Armed Police Force Nepal". Apf.gov.np. http://www.apf.gov.np/introduction/introduction.php. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl31599.pdf
- ^ "China urges Nepal to act on Tibet". BBC News. 2008-04-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7328554.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ Haviland, Charles (2008-04-17). "Nepal Arrests Tibetan Protesters". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7353249.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ "Nepal king's head spared on new banknotes". http://sundaytimes.lk/071007/International/international00009.html. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^ "Nepal". Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation. http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/nepal.htm. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- ^ a b c "Nepal". CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/np.html. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- ^ "Nepal: Economy". Nepal: Economy. p. 3. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562648_3/Nepal.html. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- ^ "Nepal". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ a b "World Refugee Survey 2008". U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. 2008-06-19. http://www.refugees.org/survey.
- ^ "NEPAL: Tibetans Warned of Deportation to China". IRIN Asia. April 1, 2008.
- ^ Anthologia anthropologica. The native races of Asia and Europe; by James George Frazer, Sir; Robert Angus Downie
- ^ The Life of Buddha as Legend and History, by Edward Joseph Thomas
- ^ P. 95 A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms By James Legge
- ^ "Festivals of Nepal". Nepalhomepage.com. http://www.nepalhomepage.com/society/festivals/festivals.html. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ P. 885 Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Part 10 By James Hastings
- ^ Wright, P. 107, History of Nepal: With an Introductory Sketch of the Country and People of Nepal
- ^ a b c d e f g "Human Development Report 2009 - Nepal". Hdrstats.undp.org. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_NPL.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
- ^ a b "News & Broadcast - World Bank Supports School Sector Reforms in Nepal". Web.worldbank.org. 2009-09-22. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22323571~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html?cid=3001. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
- ^ "Vision of Humanity". Vision of Humanity. http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/home.php. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
[edit] References
- Shaha, Rishikesh (1992). Ancient and Medieval Nepal. New Delhi: Manohar Publications. ISBN 8185425698.
- Tiwari, Sudarshan Raj (2002). The Brick and the Bull: An account of Handigaun, the Ancient Capital of Nepal. Himal Books. ISBN 9993343528.
- "Nepal". Nepal. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562648_3/Nepal.html. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- "India Nepal Open Border". Nepal Democracy. http://www.nepaldemocracy.org/documents/treaties_agreements/nep_india_open_border.htm. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- "Football at the heart of the Himalaya". FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/magazine/index/0,1569,102162,00.html?articleid=102162. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- "Nepal: Information Portal". Explore Nepal. http://www.explorenepal.com. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- "The Best Memoir You Never Heard Of: "Shadow Over Shangri-La"". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/12/RVGJ6M4RGA1.DTL.
- "Nepal: A state under siege". The South Asian: Featured Articles. http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/000155.html. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- "Nepal: Basic Fact Sheet". Nepal homepage. http://www.nepalhomepage.com/general/glance.html. Retrieved 2005-09-23.
- "Jailed ex-PM in Nepal court plea". BBC News. 2005-08-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4194160.stm. Retrieved 2005-09-29.
- "Nepal's new emblem". Citizen Journalism Nepal. http://www.cjnepal.org/story/547/nepals-new-emblem. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
- Gotz Hagmuller (2003). Patan Museum: The Transformation of a Royal Palace in Nepal. London: Serindia. ISBN 978-0906026588.
- Kunda Dixit (2006). A people war: Images of the Nepal conflict 1996–2006. Kathmandu: nepa-laya.
- Barbara Crossette (1995). So Close to Heaven: The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas. New York: Vintage. ISBN 0679743634.
- Bista, Dor Bahadur (1967). People of Nepal. Dept. of Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of Nepal. ISBN 9993304182.
- Michael Hutt, ed., Himalayan 'people's war' : Nepal's Maoist rebellion, London: C. Hurst, 2004
- Peter Matthiessen (1993). The Snow Leopard. Penguin. ISBN 0002720256.
- Joe Simpson (1997). Storms of Silence. Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0898865123.
- Samrat Upadhyay (2001). Arresting God in Kathmandu. Mariner Books. ISBN 0618043713.
- Joseph R. Pietri (2001). The King of Nepal. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Creative Arts. ISBN 061511928X.
- Maurice Herzog (1951). Annapurna. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1558215492.
- Dervla Murphy (1968). The Waiting Land: A Spell in Nepal. Transatlantic Arts. ISBN 0719517451.
- Rishikesh Shaha (2001). Modern Nepal: A Political History. Manohar Publishers and Distributors. ISBN 8173044031.
[edit] External links
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- Government of Nepal
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- Wikimedia Atlas of Nepal
- Nepal travel guide from Wikitravel
- National Geographic Country Profile: Nepal
- Languages of Nepal from the Ethnologue
- The Carter Center information on Nepal
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Coordinates: 26°32′N 86°44′E / 26.533°N 86.733°E / 26.533; 86.733
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal"
Categories: Nepal | South Asian countries | South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member states | Landlocked countries | Newar | Least Developed Countries | Federal countries | Republics | Former monarchies of Asia | States and territories established in 1768
People's movement defines Nepal
To mark the fifth anniversary of Nepal's royal massacre, BBC News invited Nepalis of different political viewpoints to present their vision of what lies ahead for their country.
Gagan Thapa is an advocate of peaceful protestHere is the view of Gagan Thapa, a student leader and a member of the Nepali Congress, the country's largest political party.
Nepal's struggle against obscurity - initiated at different phases at different times - has ultimately culminated in the form of the recent people's movement.
This not only overthrew despotic King Gyanendra's rule but established Nepal's dignity at the global level.
The 19-day people's struggle was targeted not only against a despotic form of governance but against all forms of deficiencies and injustices that have maimed Nepali society at large.
The Nepalese people's date with destiny has begun; they have adopted the 'constituent assembly' as a vehicle to carve their future. However Nepal is yet to carve a defined, coherent and concrete future; she is yet to explore a philosophical foundation that every nation stands for.
The Nepalese have begun writing a new autobiography for Nepal 
A constituent assembly is not an easy vehicle in itself. Nepal has layers of conflicts that need to be addressed.
Ingenuity and wisdom
It has to address the conflict and the differences existing between the regions, castes and communities.
As the country moves towards an election to a constituent assembly, the ingenuity and wisdom of Nepalese political players will be put to the test.
The choices they make will help to determine whether the 'April Revolution' reaches its final destination, or disappears into a quicksand of palace intrigue and political cowardice.
It might be tempting to conclude that King Gyanendra is already history but the palace has definitely bought time for itself, a commodity that is more useful then legal provisions.
Kathmandu's protestors took to the streets - peacefullyBecoming a democratic republic, therefore, is a must to ensure Nepal's long-term stability and development.
Anarchy threatens Nepal's sovereignty and unity.
Extreme political elements have been working hard trying to break the fabric of Nepalese society. The maturity, spirit and enthusiasm displayed by common Nepalese during the revolution are the only hope that can take Nepal forward.
The people of Nepal stood together at the midst of their political differences; they need to stand together in charting Nepal's socio-economic and cultural philosophies to guide the country towards peace and prosperity in the next five years.
The conviction of people helps guides nations towards a defined ideology. The potential of the Nepalese people, displayed during the revolution, stands as testimony that any form of political extremism will not be tolerated in the days ahead.
Politics 'redefined'
The claim that no revolution can be peaceful has been disproved by the common men and women of Nepal.
Peace has been adopted both as an "agenda" and a "means" in Nepalese context. The exemplary vision displayed by the laymen of Nepal has created a new theoretical perspective. Politics has been redefined in Nepal.
A nation writes its own autobiography through the action and inaction of its citizens.
Nepal's future lies in its people's democratic effortsThe Nepalese have begun writing a new autobiography for Nepal, an autobiography with a vision, philosophy and an ideology; a distinct autobiography with socio-economic and cultural harmony and prosperity; an autobiography displaying the life and history of the common men and women of Nepal.
Five years down the line, Nepal is in a verge of creating a philosophy, a model, a vision through its own people that is likely to be replicated by many nations.
At a time when India and China, two large economies and neighbours of Nepal, are bubbling with economic growth, Nepal is all set to lead the world with its new political philosophy.
It is a philosophy of peace - a much-needed agenda at a time when the world's security has been threatened due to conflict.
If you would like to send a comment about this story you can use the form below this selection of your comments:
I completly agree with Mr Thapa's views. But what it looks like sitting here in nepal and anlyzing the political situation is that the 7 parties have lost all their will and strength to the maoist. THey are not in a position to shape up any kind of development. WE LACK LEADERS...the One we have are of no good use. They are vision less leaders and they dont care about the people. I represent the country and am looking for a revolution in Neali Politics...
Kshitij Regmi, NepalThe question "what lies ahead for nepal" remains unanswered throughout gagan's article beyond a cursory nod to the need for "democratic republic". Of course, there is no doubt that that is the need of the hour, but one doesn't need a student leader of the highest calibre to make us realize that. on the eve of the maoist's biggest ever mass meet in the capital, a more dire question that needs answering is - what can we expect from the maoist who, despite the recently negotiated code of conduct, has blatantly disregarded any such code starting the very next day of the negotiation? br />lokesh, nepal
I just hate it when the politicians and the maoist use the words like People's government or we represent the people. Well we all know they don't . The power has shifted from the palace but where has it gone, certainly not the people. Our fate now lies in the hands of the Maoist, what an irony. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed.
karun Ghimire, USAThe Maoists are a very dirty set up made in India (as Srilanka). They are funded by India and supported by India to hijack Nepal's water resources to steal the only income of Nepal to cover the poverty of the North of India. The leaders of Maoist are living as king with Indian money in India . The Maoist are racketing and threaten all the poor people of the West of Nepal which have nothing to survive to follow by force their non sense and false cause. Prachanda is the also an Executive of RIM (revolution international movement).
Arifin , TongaWe believe that till today your government recruits my hill people of Nepal into your army who are known as British Gurkha Army and government Of India also recruits them into the their Army known as Indian Gurkha Army. The autocratic Rana regime of Nepal had given this permission some 145 years ago. Imagine what would happen if we were not to allowed to recruit our boys into the British & Indian armies and we think that both governments should not be allowed to recruit the simple hill boys into their Armies in a free and democratic society May Lord PashupatiNath bless us all.
Guru Bar Singh Thapa, NepalIt depends on the policies implemented by the leaders but there are several issues which have to be looked into. A person cannot foresee the future of Nepal limiting himself within the valley. Perhaps Thapa's emotional sentiments just gusts.
Keshav Pd. Ganesh, NepalA heart warming article! I do fully agree. This is all happened because of the People of Nepal and Seven party alliance plus Maoist but NOT the king. China & India are also being supportive to Nepali people by now. Political corrupt leaders should have learned the lessons and furthermore Maoists are, day by day, crawling to political mainstream. If new government after Constituent Assembly rule as per people's aspiration, a new Nepal is certain.
Romeo, SingaporeThe newly formed Govt. has to engage in multi-tasking projects starting with talk with the Maoists, restore peace, law and order followed by economic development. This is high time that Nepal should forge ahead with renewed vigour in national and international arena as a newly emerged Republic. We need young leaders like Gagan Thapa who should emulate Lee Quan Yieu. Unfortunately we have too many Ferdinand Marcoses in almost all areas of responsibility.
Ram B. Chhetri, USAIt is obvious that the development of Nepal is based on the educational progress. For the real revolution, the political leaders, educational experts, government and non-government organisations, donors and all who love Nepal should help from their sides to make a prosperous Nepal.
Rjn, NepalBy now almost everyone seems to have agreed that Maoists are the most powerful force in Nepalese Politics today. Maoists created this situation by understanding the weakness of the parties' people and used it as weapon for their success that did bring the positive result for them. The total struggle of 2006 will not benefit anyone other than Maoists.
Nepali, AustraliaAs an Indian I am glad to see democracy get another chance in Nepal. I hope the Indian government does its best to support Nepal and its people. I hope the relationship between the two old neighbours get better.
Hari, USAThis article tried to catch some issues of Nepal but failed to address main concerns. This article failed to analyze how tyranny is intertwined in Nepalese culture. In some ways all political parties and their leaders are also involved in ruining Nepal's future and economy so they must take responsibility. We must understand that now power has moved from autocrat-king to corrupted leaders but not to the public; people still have to face bribery and nepotism in their every day lives.
Gita Rijal, USAI agree more with Mr. Gautam's view. His Majesty intervened in 2002 with all the right purpose. Maybe the cause for it to fail was because of the pre 1990 cronies who had other intentions. I do support the name change of Nepal Army and other decisions taken by the govt. But don't make the king a scapegoat. As for the Maoists, I whole heartedly believe in their cause for rural Nepal but for now lets just wait and see what action they take.
Bheshraj, USAI wholeheartedly support Mr Thapa's narration of current situation and visions for Nepal. However, you can not just anticipate that peace will bring development and happiness. There are many issues in Nepal that need to be discussed - poor people, rural area development, education, regional problems, lack of representations, economy, resource sharing, etc. Only strong political institutions and the foresight of current leaders, politicians, constitution experts, scholars, and common Nepali people can make sure what the country needs and how it should be developed in a democratic republic of Nepal.
Raj, USIt is all well and good to spout philosophy, but where is the strategy to execute that vision into reality? This rhetoric sounds very familiar to what we heard in the 1990s. Just as the case was then, Nepalese leaders need to come up with a plan of action, not another passionate speech. Secondly, why do we continue to blame the easiest enemies and disregard the root problems? The problem in Nepal is not the monarchy, but the wide spread poverty, lack of development and corruption. Much as I have my reservations about the current monarch, I truly believe that the monarchy is a integral part of the Nepali heritage. It is certainly an important part of my national identity as a Nepali. The problem here is the monarch, not the monarchy.
J, NepalThis article tried to address the core problem of Nepal. But failed to address it. The core problem is our duality, which is created from premature response and actions. We love to criticize others even though it was relevant. That was unfortunate for Nepal. We have not had a national goal to achieve. In reverse, what we have a personal agenda to achieve. We have to end it. We have to create Unity among us. That is the foundation of good system to create.
Krishna Acharya, UKWell said. For the first time I agree with BBC upon its views for NEpal. But its too late now??? The whole world has been deceived becasue UK and USA (best freinds of democracy)wanted to see Nepal from India's eyes. India had idiots like Shyam Saran in its beurocracy and I am sure India is going to burn its hands too.
Jyoti Sabu, NepalGagan Thapa is a great leader so far and I fully support his views in Nepal. However, there are few points that I disagree on. This current house associate HINDU religon with the King and declare Nepal a secular country. Majority of Nepalis are Hindu and we have always believe in tolerance of other faiths in the country. Secondly, we have to focus on disarming Maoists otherwise the core problem of the country will never be solved.
Bimal Raj Bastola, USAKing Gyanendra is the man. he tried to save nepal, and what did the politicians do? they turned around and made him the bad guy. now the politicians are in the sack with the maoists and i've never been so afraid so my nation's future. now they have no one left to blame. watch them turn on each other like the pack of dogs they are.
rick flair, NepalI do fully agree with the article written by Mr Gautam. There is no doubt, now it is only the performance of Maoist on which the nations future depends. We have seen all political parties'& even king's performance. We fear that, again if Maoist fail to perform then it is sure the future of Nepal is uncertain.
Raj Shrestha, NepalI Just don't agree with your views. We need King at any cost. 19 days movement is not due to people but of maoist. Nepal has been victimized by India. One day Nepal will under India. Of course there has not been satisfactory governance during king period but that doesn't mean we don't need king. As a matter of fact, he did not get support from international community.
Rajesh, nepalNEPAL AT THE CROSSROADS
Stand-off
Maoists' anti-government strike brings Nepal to standstill
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