It was the first Dashain festival of the country after the political developments made it a republic. But the celebrations that took place before, that culminated into the festival Dashain itself on the tenth day, did not reflect that anything else has changed. If one forgot that the king was no more in his palace and a President was there, elected after a lot of messy behind the scene political maneuvering among the parties, the new Nepal of political slogans seemed as old as ever.

People went to the temples in crowds during the Sorha Shrads (the sixteen days of day-fasting) and offered prayers on the moonless day at the end of it, in memory of their parents or ancestors. Then the ten days to the Dashain begun and the festivities only gathered an ever-increasing momentum. The kite fights in the clear sky of autumn over Kathmandu and the loud shouts of ‘Changa-chet’ of children on the roof tops, when a kite was drowned by another, was as enthusiastic as ever. There were equally crowded bazaars of city, by the people doing the shopping before it too closed for the festivals.

But for some people it was not so cheerful, particularly for those living to the east of Koshi River, as they could not go home. The river caused a tremendous loss of life and property in both India and Nepal only a few weeks back, when a dike directing it on the course leading to the dam and bridge a few miles down stream collapsed due to poor maintenance and the river returned to its old, original course of sixty years back. It washed away many villages and lives during the night, along with miles of road. Many thriving bigger towns – though on higher grounds - came under water for many days, as the rain gods did not relent, and it continued pouring, on a tragedy even so big. No one has been clearly held accountable for this man made tragedy, which might not have occurred if there was no dike to change the course of the river and a need to maintain them. 

May be once again the dike will get constructed, as the water level has receded and the monsoon rain stopped; and the river will return to its artificial course to the bridge. And the people, growing ever so rapidly in numbers, with their short memory will get tempted to settle down to build a life on the lower land of fertile sedimentary soil of the river bed, over which it is presently flowing. But the poor maintenance or a great amount of rain sometime in the future could cause a tragedy of similar magnitude.

Indeed there are flights to reach the important towns of Biratnagar or Bhadrapur directly from Kathmandu that are in the east of Koshi River. Bur for most they are either too expensive or over-booked. One heard that a ferry has started to operate, to carry the people across the river, who once again find a bus on the another side, to continue their journey ahead. But its movement is obstructed routinely by the goons claiming to belong to different political outfits that were often tribal in nature, who consider themselves qualified to tax any commercial activity in the area, no matter how ironical and temporary, which they thought belonged to them. For some people restriction of the movement of goods or people has continued to mean politics. People, weary of the availability of that ferry after a bus journey of twelve hours, had a little choice but to stay back in the Capital city during Dashain.

The chill in the air suggested the winter ahead, though the paddy crop in the small, rare plots of land saved from the frantic construction of buildings in the city, were still not fully yellow to harvest. May be after the Dipawali, the festivals of lights, falling soon after the Dashain, will call for paddy harvesting and the winter will start in earnest.

The thought of winter left Sameer a little sad, as it was very cold and humid in Kathmandu, where the morning fog made the vehicular pollution terrible, making his perennial skin allergies and asthma worse. The days became shorter by almost three hours in winter and the activities had to be squeezed together to be accomplished, making the stress of daily life unbearable. And then there was the scarcity of daily necessities, due to an unprecedented migration of people into the Kathmandu city from places all over, one has to be always on the run to arrange the life and work. The mere making a living consumed the energy and time so totally that one felt always at a loss, thinking about the future.  

Sameer was born in Janakpur, which lies much lower in the south from Kathmandu, on the warmer lands, where paddy ripens a month before than in Kathmandu, in the great expansion of flat fields between which is the town situated, and went to a college there. He even married to a girl of his caste from another migrant family like his in Janakpur, when he was in his final year at the college, at the insistence of his mother, who wanted to have a grandson as soon as possible. She has understood the life to be an ongoing crisis and something very fragile, where continuing through a newer generation was the most important thing. Both the families though had their roots in Kathmandu.

Sameer found a job the same year as his college education was over and he has had a son Mohan. That year he regarded as the luckiest of his life, for he passed the college exams, was blessed with a son and got a job as well, in a branch of a trading company at Birganj. He came home to Janakpur to his family after taking a three hour bus ride from Birganj every week end. Birganj was called the gateway to the country, as it accounted for more than half of the import into the country, and to get appointed at the custom office in this town, even for a year or two, the government officials paid bribes in millions, it was said. Here this office worked overtime to clear the goods, which also meant that the officials got their share of bribe on it steadily. Otherwise, the government offices of all kinds were known for their inefficiency and absence of the staff. This town was compared only with the Tatopani town: the only point open to China for trade, in the north of Kathmandu, with an equally busy custom office at the border.

After a few years Sameer got transferred to Kathmandu from Birganj, where the head office of the company was. A year later he shifted his family to Kathamndu. And even his mother too left Janakpur to live with them some time later. She felt much comfortable in Kathmandu as she came to know of so many members of her family they had left behind. Some of them have died like her husband and there was a crop of so many youngsters she came to know as her cousins’ grand children. But the welcoming people of her generation in her relation made her feel very much at home in Kathmandu.

They belonged to a family of a warrior clan which then ruled the country. But, somehow for the grand father of Sameer, the power politics transpired in a way that he had to run away to India along with his family and a lot of valuables he could find, to save their lives. Later on, after many years of the death of Sameer’s grandfather, his father decided to leave the Patna town of India, to settle down at Janakpur. He came to Kathamndu shortly after arriving at Janakpur, and made up with the rulers of his family, who caused the flight of his father.

The old rivalries were forgotten and he was offered some land at Janakpur. But soon after this he became sick with malaria and did not survive. It was Sameer’s mother, widowed barely into her middle age, who arranged the education of Sameer and his two sisters; and their marriages later, after they came of age. There was enough land to hire the tenants for cultivation to meet most of their needs. Sameer’s sisters were married into different families in the nearby town of Sarlahi and he found his bride in Janakpur itself.

But nowadays no one of their family lived in Janakpur, though Sameer always liked coming back to it. Not only because his in-laws were still there; and he had to collect the harvest or rent from his tenants at the end of every season, but also because it was a town of his childhood days. There were so many fond memories he had of those times in a place he always considered his home. Into his middle age now and a father of a teenaged son Mohan, his enthusiasm to return to Janakpur, at every possible opportunity; and on the very next day of Dashain, looked out of place to his wife and mother.

But he had a matching enthusiasm in his son Mohan, to return to Janakpur, for Dashain or other festivals, as he too had passed his childhood there, with the family of his in laws not so far away. Or Mamaghar, as it is called for a child like Mohan: the house of a maternal uncle. The children’s fascination of their Mamaghar is ever legendry and alive. As soon the school was closed for Dashain, Mohan packed and left for Janakpur alone. But Sameer and his wife had to wait till the next day of Dashain, as they could not leave before they received the ceremonial Tika from his mother and other elderly relations in Kathmandu.

This year too it was the same about Dashain: The bonhomie of the festivals all around; and the balmy, pleasant days full of sun shine. Sameer recently was a little worried for his son Mohan though. As Mohan has failed in the School Leaving Certificate exams of class ten the last spring and was not working hard enough for the same exam he had to take during the next. It was already autumn now, and soon there will be a long winter vacation at his school.

Worried, Sameer had arranged for private tuitions of Mohan at home. But the arrival of festivals has again thrown the studies of Mohan into disarray. One day he also saw his son going away on his motorbike with a young girl of his age, while Sameer was waiting to cross the busy New road of Kathmandu. It was one more sign for him to think that his son was drifting away from his studies at a time when he should have concentrated the most. Since Mohan was his only child, he had high hopes from him. But he thought that is how the boys are at that age, thinking of his own younger age.

He and his wife received the Tika from his mother at eleven o’clock on the Dashain day: the time that was declared the most auspicious by the pandits for this year: A duty that till last year was accomplished by the royal priest. And then they went away to meet other relatives to receive tika from elders and give to the younger.

By evening they returned home. Sameer watched the news on TV to see how the things went on. He found that the brand new President of the Republic Nepal too offered Tika to the people including a few foreigners –mostly tourists- like the King did till last year. But there were very few people to receive the Tika from him and among the present mostly were from to the political party he belonged to till recently, apart from the high ranking government officials. Instead, the former king, who too gave away Dashain Tika from his personal residence at Maharajganj, had a much larger crowd to receive it. Some people even chanted pro monarchy slogans, though the king is only an ordinary citizen now. In a way Dashain remained also an occasion for the politicians to measure their power and influence, in spite of the hype of New Nepal, Sameer thought.

And there were the scenes of the male buffaloes or goats sacrificed, on the altar of Goddess of destruction:  Kali, by the grounds of the Head Office of Armed Police force at Hulchowk, while the weapons were ritually displayed and offered with Puja. The troops in their shorts and vests were seen slaughtering animals and then running with the bleeding heads away from their jerking bodies, to make the circles of blood around the idol of the goddess. Later, after the ritual was over, the heads of sacrificed animals were arranged like trophies on a stage, in front of the people who slaughtered them, unrecognizable due to the blood on their faces and body; and a few other higher officials, in their crisp neat uniforms, to pose for a photograph. The heads were too many and mostly black in color. This footage of TV news left Sameer excited. He felt the blood rushing all over his body.

Next morning Sameer caught the earliest possible bus with his wife and reached Janakpur by lunch time. His in-laws were happy to see them and so was Mohan. The slow pace of Janakpur town life suited Sameer very much. He felt his nerves calming down and a peace descending on him on finding himself among the milieu he found familiar. The leisurely way the people talked to each other and their unhurried manners reassured Sameer and he reminisced for his childhood days.

He was tempted to think if he was wasting his time in a job in Kathmandu that was not paying fully even for their livelihood. If he did not have the property at Janakpur to let, his life would have been very difficult - he thought. Now since Mohan too was drifting away from his studies, it occurred to him for a moment, if he should never return to Kathmandu to his penurious job, at which he was subjected to an unbearable tyranny by his supervisor. At times he found himself lost in making those invoices or receipts and settling the disputed claims of his company’s customers. There was little time for him in Kathmandu to follow up with his son Mohan.

That evening, feeling very light and happy after these thoughts, he went to meet some of his friends of childhood days in Janakpur. They surprised him with the news that his son Mohan has created a kind of reputation in the town by turning out to be very good at slaughtering a male goat (female goats are mostly spared slaughtering). In fact, after he slaughtered one for the first time, on the seventh day of Dashain called ‘Fulpati’, people discovered that he was so naturally good at it.

It never took him more that one strike of Khukari to separate the head away from the body. Nearly every time he struck at the base of the skull to not spoil the meat of the neck. During the week Mohan had slaughtered more than a dozen goats in the neighborhood, as almost every family offered the sacrifice during Dashain. Everybody praised this newly discovered skill of his son Mohan, who got at least a Kilogram of meat as a fee for every slaughter he made.

Sameer could not help but taking pride in his son Mohan. For it is one of the basic signs of belonging to a warrior caste, to slaughter an animal without any hesitation, and do it neatly. How else one proves that one belonged to the caste of warriors who fought the legendry wars in the past that they won to rule the people. ‘So what if Mohan was not so good at studies,’ his father thought, ‘at least he has shown the signs of coming of age and belonging to the caste and clan that he does.’

Sameer also thought: may be not this year, but if Mohan remains poor in studies, he will permanently return to Janakpur with everybody including his mother, in the future. Mohan could go to a college here as well. He had his friends, property and life in Janakpur. They will easily find a bride for Mohan here after a few years and he too can live in peace in Janakpur. If he focused on cultivating the land, the returns would be much better, compensating for the low salary he got out of his hard working job. The life in Kathmandu began to appear unreal and distant to him now.

Even if Mohan completes his college education like he himself did, giving away one’s life for a small salary, to raising invoices and collecting payments in a depressing office of a trading company, amid power shedding on a troublesome ancient computer,  supervised by a petulant person, was not what it was all about, Sameer thought.

That evening Sameer returned home in a pleasant mood. He thought he knew the other side of it as well, which was not so bad after all. He gave to a bewildered Mohan a thousand rupee note and asked him to buy himself anything he wanted.

Oct 11, 2008.

Essa é uma das imagens mais visualizadas na web, a foto é da nepalesa Matani Shakya, uma menina de 3 anos que foi apresentada como deusa na semana passada.

Para ser nomeada, ela enfrentou testes como ficar sozinha e passar a noite num quarto escuro com cabeças de bodes e búfalos sacrificados em rituais. Existem mais duas deusas ( ou kumaris ) que vivem em outras cidades, elas vivem em templos buditas cercadas de mimos e adoração. Quando se tornam adolescentes, as deusas perdem tudo e são devolvidas à família. A tradição diz que quem se casa com uma deusa morre cedo. O que faz muitas delas permanecerem solteiras e infelizes.

Um país como o Nepal repleto de tantas tragédias, não me surpreende o fato de depositarem a confiança em pequenos deuses ( ou deusas ), penso eu na tentativa de se livrarem dos problemas e dificuldades enfrentados pelo país. Que bom seria se a eles fosse apresentado o Deus desconhecido que Paulo anunciou aos atenienses. Que o Senhor nos desperte para interceder e anunciar aos nepaleses e aqueles que estão mergulhados nas mais densas trevas, que só existe um Deus, ainda que desconhecido por muitos, mas que reina soberano sobre tudo e todos.

Marcos Leite

Folkarmén låste efter tio års krig in sina vapen. Kampen mot monarkin fördes nu med demonstrationer på Katmandus gator och med motioner i parlamentet och sedan den 15 augusti 2008 har Nepal en ny regeringschef.
Maoistledaren Prachanda har lyckats med bedriften att både störta kungen och bli landets premiärminister. Hur kunde Nepals mest efterlysta person, ledaren för en terroristklassad organisation, bli landets premiärminister
Och vad sker nu i det före detta hinduiska kungariket? Journalisten Martin Schibbye, som sommaren 2007 arbetade i Nepal, ger en analys av maoisternas framgångar under det gångna året men också om den svåra utmaning landets nya regering står inför.

Tisdag 14 oktober kl 18:30 Bokcafé Pilgatan Entré 20:- /gratis för ungd/medl.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=F.5a1d4f06-0315-4db1-9a97-2c2d35006509&hl=en

The Living Legend. Shri Amitabh Bachchan

11-10-2008 1:15pm Yesterday was the Birthday of Shri Amitabh Bachchan. I was just changing my TV channels as i come across with the news that Mr. Bachchan was critically ill and admitted to Nanavati hospital due to the same stomachache problem. This was the bad news for all the fans of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Well in November 2005, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted to Lilavati Hospital's ICU once more, to undergo surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine. This occurred after Amitabh Bachchan complained of pains in his abdomen some days prior. During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including the television show he was in the process of hosting, Kaun Banega Crorepati. Amitabh returned to work in March 2006. I hope and look forward to see him in his best of health and wish he would get well soon.

Amitabh Harivansh Srivastav born on October 11, 1942birth place.

), is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s and has since become one of the most prominent figures in the history of Indian cinema.

Amitabh Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards and twelve Filmfare Awards. He holds the record for most number of Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare Awards. In addition to acting, Amitabh Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer, and television presenter, and was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.

Amitabh Bachchan is married to actor Jaya Bhaduri, now Mrs. Jaya Amitabh Bachchan They has two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Amitabh Bachchan , who is also an actor and is married to Aishwarya Rai.

Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Bachchan hails from a Hindu Kayastha family. His father, Dr. Harivansh Rai Amitabh Bachchan was a well-known Hindi poet, while his mother, Teji Bachchan was a Sikh from Karachi (now in Pakistan). Amitabh was initially named Inquilab, inspired from the phrase Inquilab Zindabad, during the Indian independence struggle, but was re-christened Amitabh, which means, "the light that would never go off." Though his surname was Srivastava, his father had adopted the pen-name Amitabh Bachchan , under which he published all his works. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films, and, for all public purposes, it has become the surname of all members of his current family.

Amitabh is the elder of Harivansh Rai Amitabh Bachchan 's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. His mother had a keen interest in theatre and had been offered a role in a film, but preferred her domestic duties. She had some degree of influence in Amitabh Bachchan 's choice of career because she always insisted that he should take the centre stage. Amitabh Bachchan ’s father passed away in 2003 and his mother on December 21, 2007.

Amitabh Bachchan has a double M.A. (Master of Arts) degree. He attended Allahabad's Jnana Prabodhini and Boys' High School (BHS), followed by Nainital's Sherwood College, where he majored in the art stream. He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College of the University of Delhi and completed a Bachelor of Science degree. In his twenties, Amitabh Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Calcutta, to pursue a career in acting.

He married actor Jaya Bhaduri on June 3, 1973, according to Bengali rites. The couple has two children: daughter Shweta and son Abhishek.

Amitabh Bachchan in Anand (1970) Amitabh Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani, a film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Madhu and Jalal Agha. Though the film was not a financial success, Amitabh Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer.

The critically acclaimed and commercially successful Anand (1971) followed, where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. Amitabh Bachchan roles as a doctor with a cynical view of life garned him a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. Amitabh then played the role of an infatuated lover in Parwaana (1971) opposite Navin Nischol, Yogeeta Bali and Om Prakash and was a rare instance of him portraying the villain. This was followed by several films which were not particularly successful at the box office including Reshma Aur Shera (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film Guddi which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri opposite Dharmendra. Noted for his deep baritone voice early on in his career, he narrated part of the film Bawarchi. In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action comedy Bombay to Goa, directed by S. Ramanathan. He starred alongside actors such as Aruna Irani, Mehmood, Anwar Ali, and Nasir Hussain.

1973 saw significant development in Amitabh Bachchan career when director Prakash Mehra cast him in the leading role for the film Zanjeer (1973) as Inspector Vijay Khanna. The film was a sharp contrast to the romantically themed films that had generally preceded it and established Amitabh in a new persona & dash; the "angry young man" action hero of Bollywood, a reputation he was to acquire in pictures that followed it. It was his first film as the leading protagonist to achieve box office success and earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. 1973 was also the year he married Jaya and around this time they appeared in several films together, not only in Zanjeer but in films such as Abhimaan which followed and was released only a month after their marriage. Later, Amitabh Bachchan played the role of Vikram in the film Namak Haraam, a social drama directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role opposite Rajesh Khanna and Rekha was praised and won him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

In 1974, Amitabh Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as Kunwara Baap and Dost, before playing a supporting role in the highest grossing film of that year, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. The film, directed and written by Manoj Kumar, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship was a critical and commercial success, placing Amitabh opposite Manoj Kumar himself, Shashi Kapoor, and Zeenat Aman. Amitabh Bachchan then played the leading role in film Majboor, released on December 6, 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film Zigzag starring George Kennedy. The film was only a moderate success at the box office. In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres from the comedy Chupke Chupke, the crime drama Faraar to the romantic drama Mili. However 1975 was the year when he appeared in two films which are regarded as important in Hindi cinematic history. He starred in the Yash Chopra directed film Deewar, opposite Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, and Neetu Singh, which earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number 4. Movies ranks Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films. Released on August 15, 1975 was Sholay (meaning fire), which became the highest grossing film of all time in India, earning Rs. 2,36,45,00,000 equivalent to US$ 60 million, after adjusting for inflation. Amitabh Bachchan played the role of Jaidev opposite a cast, which included some of the top names in the industry including Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri, and Amjad Khan. In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium" and like Deewar, has been cited as amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films. In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare awards awarded it with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.

Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970sAfter the success of films such as Sholay at the box office, Amitabh Bachchan had now consilidated his position in the industry and from 1976 through to 1984 would receive an unprecedented number of Filmfare Best Actor Award Awards and nominations. Although films such as Sholay cemented his status as Bollywood's pre-eminent action hero, Amitabh Bachchan illustrated that he was flexible in other roles, successfully playing the romantic lead, in films such as Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and comic timing in comedies such as Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and earlier, in Chupke Chupke (1975). In 1976, director Yash Chopra once again cast him in his second film, Kabhi Kabhie, a romantic tale in which Amitabh Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amit Malhotra who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja played by actor Rakhee Gulzar. The emotional eclectic of the dialogue and softness of the subject matter proved a direct contrast to some of Amitabh's earlier grittier action pictures and those he would later go on to play. The film saw him again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award and was a box office success. In 1977, he won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Amar Akbar Anthony where he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. 1978 was possibly the most accoladed year of his career and he starred in all four of the highest grossing films of India in that year. He once again resumed double roles in films such as Kasme Vaade as Amit and Shankar and Don playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look alike Vijay. His performance won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award and considerable critical acclaim as with his performances in Trishul and Muqaddar Ka Sikander which both earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. On account of this unprecedented run and success he encountered at this stage in his career, he was billed a "one-man industry" by the French director Francois Truffaut.

In 1979, for the first time, Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the film Mr. Natwarlal in which he starred alongside Rekha. His performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the Filmfare Best Male Playback Awards. In 1979, he also received Best Actor nomination for Kaala Patthar (1979) and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the Raj Khosla directed film Dostana, in which he starred opposite Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman. Dostana proved to be the top grossing film of 1980. In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film Silsila, where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and rumoured lover Rekha. Other films of this period include Ram Balram (1980), Shaan (1980), Lawaaris (1981), and Shakti (1982) which pitted him against legendary actor Dilip Kumar.

While filming Coolie in 1982, Amitabh Bachchan suffered a nearly fatally intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar. Amitabh Bachchan was performing his own stunts in the film and one scene required him to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in a splenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergency splenectomy and remained critically ill in hospital for many months, at times close to death. The public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later, there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating. Nevertheless, he spent many months recovering and resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Amitabh Bachchan’s accident, the film was a box office success. The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of Coolie after Amitabh Bachchan 's accident. Amitabh Bachchan’s character was originally intended to have been killed off but after the change of script, the character lived in the end. It would have been inappropriate, said Desai, for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. Also, in the released film the footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking this as the instant of the actor's injury of the accident.

Later, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis. His illness made him feel weak both mentally and physically and he decided to quit films and venture into politics. At this time he became pessimistic, expressing concern with how a new film would be received. Before every release he would negatively state, "Yeh film to flop hogi!" ("This film will flop").

In 1984, Amitabh took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's Lok Sabha seat against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and won by the highest victory margin in general election history (68.2% of the vote). His political career, however, was short-lived: He resigned after three years. The resignation followed the implication of Amitabh Bachchan and his brother in the "Bofors scandal" by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court. Amitabh Bachchan was eventually found not guilty of involvement in the ordeal.

His old friend, Amar Singh, helped him during a financial crisis due to the failure of his company ABCL. Therefore, Amitabh Bachchan started to support Amar Singh's political party, the Samajwadi party. Mrs. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and became a Rajya Sabha member. Amitabh Bachchan has continued to do favors for the Samajwadi party, including advertisements and political campaigns. These activities have recently gotten him into trouble again in the Indian courts for false claims after a previous incident of submission of legal papers by him, stating that he is a farmer.

Stardust and some of the other film magazines imposed a 15-year press ban against Amitabh Bachchan during his peak acting years. In his own defense, Amitabh Bachchan claimed to have banned the press from entering his sets almost till the end of 1989. It has been said that Amitabh Bachchan had banned certain publications because he disliked what was being published about him and as such, he vetoed them in an attempt to get them to conform this.

In 1988, Amitabh Bachchan returned to films, playing the title role in Shahenshah, which was a box office success due to the hype of Amitabh Bachchan’s comeback. After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films failed at the box office. The 1991 hit film, "Hum," looked like it might reverse this trend, but the momentum was short-lived as his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this period that Amitabh Bachchan won his second National Film Award, for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 film "Agneepath." These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some time. After the release of Khuda Gawah in 1992, Amitabh Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. In 1994, one of his delayed films Insaniyat was released but was also a box office failure. Amitabh Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996, with the vision of becoming a 10 billion rupees (approx 250 million $US) premier entertainment company by the year 2000. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. Its operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film was produced by the company. "Tere Mere Sapne" failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsi and South films star Simran. ABCL produced a few other films, none of which did well.

In 1997, Amitabh Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film Mrityudaata, produced by ABCL. Though Mrityudaata attempted to reprise Amitabh Bachchan’s earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the The 1996 Miss World beauty pageant, Bangalore but lost millions. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997. The company went into administration and was later declared a failed company by Indian Industries board. The Bombay high court, in April 1999, restrained Amitabh Bachchan from selling off his Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats until the pending loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were disposed of. Amitabh Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to Sahara India Finance for raising funds for his company.

Amitabh Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham (1999) but other films such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) were box office failures.

In the year 2000, Amitabh Bachchan stepped up to host India's adaptation of the British television game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Entitled, Kaun Banega Crorepati. As it did in most other countries where it was adopted, the program found immediate success. The Canara Bank withdrew its law suit against Amitabh Bachchan in November 2000. Amitabh Bachchan hosted KBC until November 2005, and its success set the stage for his return to film popularity.

Amitabh Bachchan returns to the screen opposite Shahrukh Khan in the film Mohabbatein (2000). First Lady President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Best Film Actor Award for the year 2005 to Amitabh Bachchan for his role in the Hindi film Black.In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopra's box-office hit, Mohabbatein, directed by Aditya Chopra. He played a stern, older figure that rivalled the character of Shahrukh Khan. Other hits followed, with Amitabh Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), and Baghban (2003). As an actor, he continued to perform in a range of characters, receiving critical praise for his performances in Aks (2001), Aankhen (2002), Khakee (2004), Dev (2004) and Black (2005). Taking advantage of this resurgence, Amitabh began endorsing a variety of products and services, appearing in many television and billboard advertisements. In 2005 and 2006, he starred with his son Abhishek in the hit film Bunty Aur Babli (2005), the Godfather tribute Sarkar (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006). All of them were successful at the box office. His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were Baabul (2006), Eklavya and Nishabd (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics. He also made a guest-appearance as himself in the Kannada movie Amruthadaare, directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar. In May 2007, two of his films Cheeni Kum and the multi-starrer Shootout at Lokhandwala were released. Shootout at Lokhandwala did very well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, while Cheeni Kum picked up after a slow start and was declared an overall average hit.

In August 2007, a remake of his biggest hit, Sholay (1975), entitled Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, proved to be a disaster at the box office and was also poorly received by critics.

His first English language film, Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear, premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2007. and Released in India in September 2008. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best ever since Black. Amitabh Bachchan was slated play a supporting role in his first international film, Shantaram, directed by Mira Nair and starring Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in the lead. The film was due to begin filming in February 2008 but due to the writer's strike, was pushed to September 2008.

Bhoothnath, in which he plays the title role as a ghost, was released on May 9, 2008. Sarkar Raj, released in June 2008, was a sequel to his 2005 film Sarkar. Sarkar Raj received a positive response at the box-office. Amitabh Bachchan was scheduled to co-host the second Live Earth event, Live Earth India 2008, with Jon Bon Jovi, in Mumbai India on December 8, 2008.

In November 2005, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted to Lilavati Hospital's ICU once more, to undergo surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine.[33] This occurred after Amitabh Bachchan complained of pains in his abdomen some days prior. During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including the television show he was in the process of hosting, Kaun Banega Crorepati. Amitabh returned to work in March 2006. Amitabh Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer and presenter for numerous programmes. Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Amitabh Bachchan’s voice that he decided to use his voice as commentary in Shatranj Ke Khiladi since he could not find a suitable role for him. Before entering the film industry, Amitabh Bachchan applied for an announcer's job with All India Radio, although he was rejected.

Barabanki Land Case

In the runup to the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007, Amitabh Bachchan made a film extolling the virtues of the Mulayam Singh government. His Samajwadi Party was routed, and Mayawati came to power

On June 2, 2007, a Faizabad court ruled that he had illegally acquired agricultural land designated specifically for landless Dalit farmers. It was speculated that he might investigated on related charges of forgery, as he has allegedly claimed he was a farmer. On July 19, 2007, after the scandal broke out, Amitabh Bachchan surrendered the land acquired in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and Pune. He wrote to the chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, to donate the lands that were allegedly acquired illegally in Pune. However, the Lucknow Court has put a stay on the land donation and said that the status quo on the land be maintained.

On October 12, 2007, Amitabh Bachchan abandoned his claim in respect of the land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district. On December 11, 2007, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court gave a clean chit to Amitabh Bachchan in a case pertaining to alleged fraudulent allotment of government land to him in Barabanki district. A single Lucknow bench of Justice said there was no finding that the actor "himself committed any fraud or manipulated any surreptitious entry in the revenue records."

After receiving a positive verdict in Barabanki case, Amitabh Bachchan intimated to Maharashtra government that he did not wish to surrender his land in Maval tehsil of Pune district.

In January 2008 at political rallies, Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, targeted Amitabh Bachchan , asserting that the actor was "more inclined" towards his native state than Maharashtra. He expressed his disapproval of Amitabh’s inaugurating a girls' school named after his daughter-in-law, actor Aishwarya Rai Amitabh Bachchan, at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, rather than in Maharashtra.[43] According to media reports, Raj's censure of Amitabh, whom he admires, stemmed out of his disappointment of not being invited to Amitabh's son Abhishek's marriage to Aishwarya, despite invitations to his estranged uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.

Responding to Raj's accusations, the actor's wife, SP MP Jaya Amitabh Bachchan , said that the Amitabh Bachchan s were willing to start a school in Mumbai, provided the MNS leader donated the land build it. She told the media, "I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra, in Mumbai—Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of Aishwarya here." However, Amitabh abstained from commenting on the issue.

Bal Thackeray refuted the allegations, stating, "Amitabh Bachchan is an open-minded person, he has great love for Maharashtra, and this is evident on many occasions. The actor has often said that Maharashtra and specially Mumbai has given him great fame and affection. He has also said that what he is today is because of the love people have given him. The people of Mumbai have always acknowledged him as an artiste. It was utter foolishness to make these parochial allegations against him. Amitabh is a global superstar. People all over the world respect him. This cannot be forgotten by anyone. Amitabh should ignore these silly accusations and concentrate on his acting."

On March 23, 2008, more than a month and half after Raj's remarks, Amitabh finally spoke out in an interview to a local tabloid saying, "Random charges are random; they do not deserve the kind of attention you wish me to give." Later, on March 28, at a press conference for the International Indian Film Academy, when asked what his take was on the anti-migrant issue, Amitabh said that it is one's fundamental right to live anywhere in the country and the constitution entitles so. He also stated that he was not affected by Raj's comments. This political issue is now resolved from both the sides.

By Gyandotcom

For all the fans of Shri Amitabh Bachchan.

The rankings however were compiled just before the recent £50 billion bail-out by the UK, the nationalisation of the Icelandic banks and the larger US bail-out.

The website has the co-authors interviewed from the 3rd to the 7th of October. The report itself was published on the 8th October.

RANKINGS

1. Canada

2. Sweden

3. Luxembourg

4. Australia

5. Denmark

6. Netherlands

7. Belgium

8. New Zealand

9. Ireland

10. Malta

11. Hong Kong

12. Finland

13. Singapore

14. Norway

15. South Africa

16. Switzerland

17. Namibia

18. Chile

19. France

20. Spain

21. Barbados

22. Bahrain

23. Slovak Republic

24. Brazil

25. Estonia

26. Austria

27. Panama

28. Mauritius

29. Kuwait

30. Qatar

31. United Arab Emirates

32. Trinidad and Tobago

33. Senegal

34. Israel

35. Portugal

36. Iceland

37. Cyprus

38. Botswana

39. Germany

40. United States

41. Lithuania

42. Peru

43. El Salvador

44. United Kingdom

45. Greece

46. Benin

47. Costa Rica

48. Malawi

49. Guyana

50. Malaysia

51. India

52. Puerto Rico

53. The Gambia

54. Montenegro

55. Mexico

56. Croatia

57. Czech Republic

58. Jordan

59. Ghana

60. Suriname

61. Brunei Darussalam

62. Latvia

63. Saudi Arabia

64. Kenya

65. Jamaica

66. Honduras

67. Zambia

68. Burkina Faso

69. Slovenia

70. Sri Lanka

71. Pakistan

72. Philippines

73. Republic of Korea

74. Romania

75. Thailand

76. Madagascar

77. Colombia

78. Cote d'Ivoire

79. Italy

80. Bulgaria

81. Hungary

82. Cameroon

83. Georgia

84. Oman

85. Tunisia

86. Paraguay

87. Nigeria

88. Armenia

89. Morocco

90. Dominican Republic

91. Bolivia

92. Malia

93. Japan

94. Tanzania

95. Moldova

96. Bosnia and Herzegovina

97. Poland

98. Nicaragua

99. Venezuela

100. Uruguay

101. Guatemala

102. FYR Macedonia

103. Syria

104. Albania

105. Nepal

106. Mozambique

107. Russian Federation

108. China

109. Uganda

110. Serbia

111. Egypt

112. Ukraine

113. Vietnam

114. Turkey

115. Bangladesh

116. Azerbaijan

117. Taiwan, China

118. Ecuador

119. Mauritania

120. Mongolia

121. Indonesia

122. Zimbabwe

123. Tajikistan

124. Kazakhstan

125. Cambodia

126. Burundi

127. Chad

128. Ethiopia

129. Argentina

130. East Timor

131. Kyrgyz Republic

132. Lesotho

133. Libya

134. Algeria

Yes. That's right.

The UK lies behind Peru and El Salvador.

Now given this report was a survey of the world's economists whose advice our banks were no doubt taking; should we believe it?

Are the UK's banks really behind Peru, El Salvador and Senegal?

Or is it an accurate representation that is slightly out of date, compiled as it was slightly before the bail-outs?

That must depend on whether you believe the bail-outs will work.

If reports are to be believed the Royal Bank of Scotland is next in line to be nationalised tomorrow. If that happens then there will be further pressure on the remaining UK bank's to be nationalised too. The banking sector could be picked off one by one by the market and the taxpayer forced to pick up the tab.

On that Iain Dale post there have already been comments about the English taxpayer bailing out the Scottish bank.

It must be a pity, to all those who carp, that Scotland is not already independent.

An independent Scotland with a similar oil fund like our neighbour Norway could be similarly insulated from these turbulent times.

It would also have the economic levers to maintain its economy best, not just for the South-East of England as remains the case today. Remember Eddie George, the former Governor of the Bank of England: Unemployment in the north is a price worth paying for affluence in the South!

Although the credit crunch is global, take a look back at those rankings.

Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands. All small countries lying in the top 10.

Even Ireland, who have recently guaranteed all deposits in their banks, are sitting 9th.

The argument that Scotland is too small to be financially unstable is farcical! I don't hear anyone saying that Denmark is too small and should be run from Berlin. (Not since the days of Adolf Hitler and the Second World War anyway!)

As countries large and small struggle with the credit credit crunch from the U.S. and Russia down to Iceland with its 300 000 population, this population argument of independence must be seen to be invalid. Iceland, with a population slightly smaller than North Lanarkshire, isn't exactly Miramont Gardens in Pimlico!

What matters now is that we take the right decisions to get out this mess.

Those decisions may be different for each country. They may even be different for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

That's why its important key economic levers are devolved away from Westminster.

Otherwise the Eddie George syndrome will hamper 'the North' recovering for years.

Beacon Online, October 12 >>

With impeccable timing and a delicate sense for economic priorities Minister of National Default, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, "has urged the international community to support Nepal for economic transformation, which was devastated by the decade long insurgency." He forgot to add that he was one of the masterminds behind the business plan that led to it. "Dr Bhattarai told donors that Nepal needs Rs 30 billion for free education up to grade V and another Rs 18 billion in addition to current government allocation to support education up to grade XII."

Funds will be implemented with the usual quadruple-valve siphon effect with subsequent spray dilution. Securitization can be had with SIVs, CDS, PBS (people-backed securities, i.e. sending more workers to Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia) and, to top it off, they will be fiscally neutral.

Kosi Barrage at Bhantabari, Bhimnagar

By Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, India

Nepal should make a target of producing 40,000 MW of hydroelectricity by 2025. For six decades, India did not propose Nepal to develop its hydropower potential of 40,000 MW capacity worth $2000b with about 60 to 100 BCM storage. 200 billion units of green power generated every year at the rate of 5 cents a unit would mean annual revenue of $10b to Nepal, ten times its current budget and more than its current GDP.

Twenty percent of the power generated would be enough for Nepal, and the remaining 80 percent or more may be sold to India. India, Nepal and Bangladesh would get 200 BCM or more of regulated water releases with fool proof flood control protection.

Entire foothills of Nepal would get massive amount of water, power, irrigation and flood control benefits with an investment of below $100b.  

More than 20 big dams have already been built from Bhakra to Tehri in India in the last five decades. Himanchal Pradesh alone is developing 20,000 MW of Hydro Power.

Although the regions from Kashmir to Tehri in Uttarkashi are prone to earthquakes, proven technology like concrete gravity dam (Bhakra) can withstand any earthquake. Mismanagement in civil structures is partly due to the shortage of capital resources.

3500 kilometers of embankments in Bihar didn't generate any revenue BUT promoted corruption instead. Most of the money went in to the pockets of contractors and politicians.  

Silting is not a problem as made out by dubious engineers. Bhakra siltation rate is 25 million cubic meters which means it shall fill up to 9 BCM in 360 years - more 500 years since there are plans of building dams close to 8000 MW in the Sutlej basin.  

*Visit: Kosi Discussion Forum

मास्कोमा ुसुनौला शरद्ु भनिने रमणीय मौसम वर्णनातीत प्रतीत हुन्छ । बिहानको घाम झुल्केदेखि नै मास्कोमा रहेका नेपालीहरुको मनमा पनि नेपालमा संघात्मक लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्रको घोषणा गरिएपछिको पहिलो विजयादशमी वि।सं। २०६५ को दिन सुकोमल घाम झुल्किरहेको प्रतीत हुन्थ्यो । विहानैदेखि मास्कोस्थित नेपाली राजदूतावासमा नेपालीहरु जम्मा हुन थालिसकेका थिए । प्रवेशकक्षको ढोकैमा उभिएर राजदूतावास परिवारसहित नेपाली राजदूत-दम्पत्तिद्वारा आगन्तुक पाहुनाहरुको स्वागत-सत्कार गिरंदै थियो ।

नेपाली नारी निकुाजको अग्रसरतामा संचालित नेपाली भाषा तथा संस्कृति शिक्षण केन्द्रको एक कक्षमा बनाइएको पूजास्थलमा गतः नौ दिनसम्म घटस्थापनाका दिनदेखि विधिपूर्वक वरुण-कलश स्थापना एवं जमरा रोपणसहित दुर्गाभवानीको नित्यपूजा गरिनुका साथै नेपालमा गएको भीषण बाढीको प्रकोपबाट दिवंगत भएका व्यक्तिहरुको आत्माको चिरशान्तिका लागि उनीहरुको स्मृतिमा अखण्ड ज्योति समेत बालेर प्रारम्भ गरिएको बडादशैंको प्रसादस्वरुप पहेंलो जमरा एवं रातो अक्षताआदि पवित्र सामग्रीहरु नेपाली राजदूतावासको प्रवेशकक्षमा त्यहाँ पहिलेबाटै तयार पारेर राखिएको टेबुलमा सजाएर राखिएका थिए । महानवमीको भव्य पूजामा नौजना कुमारीको रुपमा पूजित नवकन्या अनुस्का र आयुष्मा लामिछाने दिदी-बहिनीे कृति र युक्ति महतो दिदी-बहिनी दविकापि्रया िसंह समिरा के।सी। कृतिका श्रेष्ठ मध्येकी एक सानी कन्याकुमारी आयुष्मा लामिछानेको आगमनका साथै त्यहाँ विशेष चहलपहल सुरु भयो ।

सर्वप्रथम नेपाली राजदूत-दम्पत्तिले कुमारी आयुष्माको हातबाट टीकाग्रहण गर्नुभएपछि राजदूतावासमा कुमारीकन्याको हातबाट टीका थाप्न इच्छुक नेपालीहरुको लाम लाग्यो । विजयादशमीका दिन बिहान ११ बजेदेखि नै महामहिम राजदूत सूर्यकिरण गुरुङज्यू पनि विभिन्न समयमा राजदूतावास पुग्ने नेपालीहरुलाई टीका लगाइदिने कार्यमा व्यस्त देखिनुहुन्थ्यो र यो क्रम साँझसम्म नै जारी रहेको थियो ।

नेपाली राजदूतावासमा घटिरहेको मास्कोका लागि विरलकोटीको यस्तो घटनाका प्रत्यक्षदर्शी बन्न पुगेका टेलिभिजन कम्पनी ुएबी-टीभीु का क्यामरामेनहरुका साथै त्यसै टेलिभिजन कम्पनीकी प्रधानसम्पादिका इर्मा रोजिना तथा पत्रकार अलेक्सेइ मोभिन्चेभ नेपालीहरुले मास्कोमा मनाइरहेको विजयादशमीको दृश्य देखेर छक्क परिरहेका थिए । उनीहरु त्यहाँ नेपालीहरुसंग रुसी भाषामा दशैंको बारेमा विभिन्न प्रश्नहरु सोधिरहेका देखिन्थे । यसै क्रममा टेलिभिजनका लागि नेपाली राजदुतज्यूसंग लिइएको अन्तवार्ताबाट पनि उनीहरुले निकै कुरा थाहा पाएका थिए... ।

महामहिम राजदूत सूर्यकिरण गुरुङज्यूले दशैको बारेमा छोटकरीमा प्रकाश पार्दै हाल नेपालले आपुूलाई धर्मनिरपेक्ष संघात्मक लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र घोषित गरिसकेको भए तापनि दशै भनेको हिन्दूधर्माबलम्बीहरुले मात्र मनाउने चाड नभई नेपालमा बसोवास गरिरहेका सबै धर्माबलम्बीहरुले उत्तिकै सम्मानका साथ परम्परादेखि नै मानिआएको धार्मिक मात्र नभई सामाजिक तथा सांस्कृतिक उत्सव पनि हो भनी जोड दिनुभएको थियो । उहाँले रुस र नेपालबीच आधा शताब्दी यतादेखि नै कायम रहँदै आएको सुमधुर सम्बन्धको चर्चा गर्नुहुँदै वर्तमान समयमा पनि नेपाल र रुसबीच विभिन्न क्षेत्रमा सहयोग विकासको राम्रो सम्भावना रहेको छ भनी जोड दिनुभयो र आजसम्म पनि नेपालमा सोभियत संघले निर्माण गरेका परियोजनाहरुको विशेष महत्व रहेको टिप्पणी गर्नुहुँदै नयाँ नेपालको आर्थिक व्यापारिक तथा औद्योगिक विकासमा पनि खास गरी जलस्रोतको विकासको क्षेत्रमा रुसको लगानी ज्यादै उपयोगी हुनसक्ने कुरा जनाउनुभयो ।

मास्कोमा विजयादशमीको समारोहमा उपस्थित नेपालीहरु र तिनका परिवारजनहरुद्वारा नेपाली राजदूतावासका सबै कक्षहरु टनाटन भरिएको थियो । मास्को जस्तो महानगरीमा बसोवास गरिरहेका सबै नेपालीहरु सधैं यसरी एकै ठाउँमा भेला हुन नसक्ने हुनाले दशैंको अवसरमा भेटघाट र भलाकुसारी गर्न पाइने सम्भावनाबाट सबैले फाइदा उठाइरको प्रतीत हुन्थ्यो । कोही प्रतीक्षाकक्षमा कौचमा बसेर आरामसित कुराकानी गर्नमा व्यस्त थिए भने कोही शरद्कालीन चिसोचिसो हावा चलिरहेको भए तापनि बाहिर चोकमा निस्केर कुराकानी गर्नमा व्यस्त देखिन्थे । कोही भोजनकक्षमा मासु-भातसहित नेपाली परिकारहरु चाख्दै गफ गरिरहेका थिए भने कोही हातमा सोमरस वा फलरसको गिलास लिएर ुविजयादशमीको शुभकामनाु अथवा ुमोहनीया भिन्तुनाु भन्दै एक दोस्रासंग शुभकामनाको आदानप्रदान गरिरहेका देखिन्थे । अधिकांश नेपालीहरु भने सम्मेलनकक्षमा ओहोरदोहोर गर्दै एकअर्कासंग भेटघाट र कुराकानी गर्न लालायित देखिन्थे । कुराकानीको क्रममा कसैकसैले यस सालको दशैं मनाउन मास्कोबाट स्वदेश गइरहेका आपुना साथीभाइहरुको सुस्वास्थ्यको कामना गर्दै उनीहरुले घरमा दशै मनाउने मात्र नभई जनकपुरमा सम्पन्न भइरहेको गैरआवासीय नेपाली दिवसमा समेत भाग लिने मौका पाएको चर्चा गर्दै जनकपुर कार्यक्रमको सफलताको हार्दिक कामना व्यक्त गरिरहेका थिए ।

मास्कोको टेलिभिजन कम्पनी ुएबी-टीभीु का पत्रकार अलेक्सेइ मोभिन्चेभलाई नेपाली संस्कृति र रीतिथितिबारे विभिन्न जिज्ञासाको उत्तर पाउन ज्यादै उत्सुक देखेर यस पंक्तिकारद्वारा पनि असत्य र अन्यायऊपर सत्य र न्यायको विजयको प्रतीकस्वरुप रहेको बढादशैंको विधिविधान तथा परम्पराका साथै नेपालीहरुका लागि यस उत्सवको दार्शनिक सांस्कृतिक एवं राष्ट्रिय महत्व रहेको सन्दर्भमा समेत संक्षेपमा बताइएको थियो ।

यसरी रुसको राजधानीमा नेपाली राजदूतावास परिवारका साथै नेपाली व्यापारी कामदार र विद्यार्थीहरु अर्थात् रुसमा नेपालीहरुका विभिन्न संघसंस्थाहरु जस्तै गैरआवासीय नेपाली संघ रुस राष्ट्रिय समन्वय परिषद् अध्यक्ष मणिराज पोखरेल उपाध्यक्ष सपिला राजभण्डारी महासचिव डा। बद्री के।सी। रुस सीआईएस नेपाल उद्योगवाणिज्य संघ उपाध्यक्ष डा। भीष्म आचार्य नेपाली नारी निकुाज उपाध्यक्ष डा। विन्दिता लामिछाने तथा नेपाली छात्रसंघ अध्यक्ष विमला भण्डारी-बस्याल आदिका पदाधिकारीहरु र सदस्यहरु सबै रमाउँदै गफ गरिरहेका देखिन्थे ।

दशैंभोजको अन्त्यतिर साँझमा नेपाली राजदूतावासमा नाचगान र अन्य मनोराजनात्मक कार्यक्रमहरु पनि सम्पन्न भएको थियो । मचािहं यस सालको मास्कोको रमणीय शरदीय साँझमा नेपाली राजदूतावासको प्रांगणमा निस्केर त्यहाँ उमि्ररहेको हरियो रुखबाट झर्न थालेका पहेंला पातहरुलाई हेर्दै कहिले आपुूले साढे चारदशकअधि मास्कोमा पहिलोपल्ट मनाएको बढादशैंको सम्झनाको नदीमा गोता लगाउँदै त कहिले ३ वर्षअघि मात्र आपुनो जन्मथलोमा पुगी भाइ-बहिनीहरुको परिवार तथा इष्टमित्रहरुसंग मनाइएको दशैंको सुमधुर सम्झनामा डुबेर मास्कोको आपुनो घरतिर प्रस्थान गरिरहेको थिएँ...
फोटो ः अमीर गुरुङ
१० अक्टोबर २००८

मास्को रुस महासंघ ।

Farmers of Bhaktapur working in paddy field, separating rice beads in a traditional way by using wind on Saturday , 11 October 2008.

So I finally made it, lots to say about this country, but way too busy as I am off to Everest tomorrow. And I already feel sick....hmm great start, things will clear I am sure.

Here are a few images to keep you going.

Click the image below.

Sitting in a dusty bowl between the mountains Katmandu appears to be designed with a 6 year old's lego set.  Box shapes, sit on other box shapes to form a cubist painters dream. This structure should be an inspiration to many an overcrowded city in the world. as Katmandu has figured out that the rooftops are the ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the streets below. Why do so many cities not realise this. Sure you have a few pipes and water containers to deal with, but so what. The rooftop is the place to be. The other thing with Katmandu is that the streets are very narrow. This means that the roof tops are very close and it is easy to shout abuse and throw things at your neighbour.

Most importantly  though this it is a great place to fly your kite. Or more to the point fight you kite. Kite fighting is quite a sport here, especially around the time of the Dasdain festival (October).  There are thousands of them all locked in mini dog fights. 

So as far as I have figured out the general rules are to dive bomb the other kite and try to break their string. So every now and then you see a kite fluttering to the ground, its owner defeated, a hi-chait (kite with cut line) or loooooser. The kites are pretty flimsy, made from tissue paper and sticks, but they do the job, as generally there is not much of a breeze. Now  this is when it becomes really technical as people start to armour their string, apparently this can be done with crushed light bulbs, gum or boiled slugs. This armour is designed to cut the other persons line if you cross strings. Not too sure about the boiled slugs, but heh.

There is no better way to spend the late afternoon than sit and watch these battles as they commence....I am sure there must be and illigal kite fighting gambling den somewhere around here someplace. If not, why not.

About 50 gambling groups led by Nepal police officers conducted the open gamble ceremony inside the Ratnapark. The park is just in front of the Kathmandu Metropolitan Commissioner's Office.

Those engaged in the gambles said that they conducted the gamble business on the occasion of the biggest Hindu festival.

However, nowhere is the provision of conducting gambles in the law.

Cucumber and water sellers in the park complained that many gangs of robbers who looted them on the highway while travelling by night buses were seen in the gambles in the park. Some plain-clothed policemen admitted that many of the captains of the gambles were police officers and soldiers on duty. "They were deployed on their routine duty but they are earning a lot of money by collaborating with robbers' gangs. This is not good anyway," said the plain-clothed.

When civil society members and reporters requested the police many time to arrest those involved in gambles legally banned, they ignored the request. Thus, the gambles in the name of the biggest Hindu festival is going on for 12 days.

Three policemen come and go every day. But they say they have not been authorized to arrest anybody.

Hope all is well with everyone else.  Not sure the next time I will get an Internet connection.

Nepal has more than 6,000 rivers and rivulets from which an overall average annual run of 225 billion cubic meters of water flows towards south (India). The gradient of Nepal, which rises all the way up to 8,848m in the north, enriches it with a tremendous hydropower potential. However, these facts are good only for academic purpose till we seek a vision to develop and 'sell' the electricity. And the truth is: we are facing hours of load shedding, which shows that the electricity supply is not enough to meet even the existing demand. In addition to this, the annual electricity demand is increasing at a rate of about 10%. There is every possibility that huge industries like cement, steel etc. as well as advanced means of transportation system like trolley bus, rail network and cable cars, etc., each of which needs high energy input, may be required once sustained peace prevails in the country. This will further increase the demand of electricity.

There can not be a second line of thought to the need to develop hydropower on a greater scale in order to gear up for a dream sustained economic growth. But, What are the prospects? The answer is positive one, as we have a power hungry giant neighbor, India. India’s total electricity installed capacity is around 135,000 MW with a peak demand of around 105,000 MW. However, the peak availability is about 86,000 MW only. Thus, there exists a huge gap between demand & supply. Further annual demand growth of 8-9% is widening this gap every year. Nepal can, probably, take advantage of the prevailing power situation in India.

It is clear that we need to tap our hydro resources for power generation both to meet our domestic energy requirements, as well as to speed up our economy through selling 'excess' energy to India. It's easier said than done. From where we are going to get the investments? There may be several answers to this question. There is a significant amount of money in the domestic market which remains under-utilized due to lack of proper infrastructure to facilitate the economic activities. This money can be invested in some small to medium type hydropower plants. However, to realize the dream of generating 10000 MW in next 10 years, we need big investors (possibly foreign players). At this point, we can't neglect the role India can play. We may obtain investments from or outside India but, we will have to bargain with India when it comes to selling of the generated power.

Despite several water-sharing agreements (such as the 1954 Kosi treaty and the 1996 Mahakali treaty), lack of mtual trust between India and Nepal prevented effective utilization of Nepal's huge hydro resource, which can be used for agriculture as well as electricity generation on both sides of the border. As far as water is concerned, India constantly cites the Bhutan example and wonders why Nepal can’t follow the Bhutanese footsteps which has allowed India to build several dams over rivers, produces electricity and sells surplus power to India. As a result, Bhutan’s per capita income is only second to Sri Lanka in the South Asian region. But the Bhutan comparison is a bad diplomacy by India, because it irritates Nepal each time India makes it. Besides this, there is an anti-Indian sentiment in Nepal, thanks to various border disputes and other existing geo-political compulsions. Negative opinion of India, which flares up every now and then in India’s relationship with Nepal, surfaced recently, once again, after the Kosi river broke through its embankments, wreaking havoc in parts of Nepal and across the border in Bihar (India). The floods re-ignited a fresh wave of anti-India feeling in Nepal.

But feelings apart, we have to live with the reality that Nepal will remain surrounded by India (particularly, in the south) and, they are the ultimate buyer of our produced power. So, does it mean that we have to sacrifice our self interest & honour while dealing with India on the energy front? The answer is: no! Nepal can tactically play it's cards before arriving on any sort of agreement. India may be a big player in the region, owing to it's huge (and expanding) economy and territory; but, at the same time, India has got some problems that can only be solved through Nepal's co-operation. For example, the recent Koshi floods created more havoc in India than in Nepal. Any future agreement should be based on give & take principle: a win-win case for both sides.

The new government in Nepal seems to have come up with a vision on hydropower development (I don't want to comment on other political aspects at this point of time!). I hope this vision is not a mere 'slogan'. If Nepal could fast-track its hydro resources to produce 10,000MW in next 10 years, of which it exported the surplus power to India, it could earn billions of money every year. Hence, the policy makers have to 'deal tactfully' with India to optimize country's highest interest. I recall a popular slogan that says: "with a hammer in hand, everything looks like a nail"...

This post also appears at Deependra's blog: NEVER STOP DREAMING...