The Nepal Digest - March 31, 1996 (18 Chaitra 2052 BkSm)

From: The Editor (nepal-request@cs.niu.edu)
Date: Mon Apr 01 1996 - 12:08:12 CST

Next message: The Editor: "The Nepal Digest - April 13, 1996 (1 Baishakh 2053 BkSm)"
Previous message: The Editor: "The Nepal Digest - March 21, 1996 (8 Chaitra 2052 BkSm)"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

Date: Mon, 1 Apr 1996 12:08:12 -0600
Message-Id: <199604011808.AA10287@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Reply-To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
From: The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu>
Sender: "Rajpal J. Singh" <A10RJS1@cs.niu.edu>
Subject:      The Nepal Digest - March 31, 1996 (18 Chaitra 2052 BkSm)
To: <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 53259
Status: O

        %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
        % N N EEEEEE PPPPPP AA L %
        % NN N E P P A A L %
        % N N N EEEE P P A A L %
        % N N N E PPPPPP AAAAAA L %
        % N NN E P A A L %
        % N N EEEEEE P A A LLLLLL %
        %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The Nepal Digest Sunday 31 March 96: Chaitra 18 2052 BS: Year5 Volume48 Issue4

Today's Topics:

1. Message from the editor

        2. TAJA_KHABAR
                Nepal Prime Minister Survives No-confidence Move
                Nepal government victory called short-term respite
                Young American Lama's Mother Ready to say Goodbye

        3. KURA_KANI
              Social: Nepal - Amnesty International Activists Detained

        4. JAN_KARI
             A Message to Nepal Researchers
             Urgent, nepal govt addresses, ministers & embassies
             New Year Celebration

        5. SODH_PUCH
             Volentary doctor
             Urgent, nepal govt addresses, ministers & embassies
             Are there some Nepalese in Boise, Idaho

******************************************************************************
* TND Board of Staff *
* ------------------ *
* *
* TND Foundation: General Information info-tnd@nepal.org *
* Founder: Rajpal J. Singh a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu *
* TND Archives: Sohan Panta k945184@atlas.kingston.ac.uk *
* SCN Correspondent: Rajesh B. Shrestha rajs@aleph0.clarku.edu *
* Webmaster Correspondent: Pradeep Bista webmaster-tnd@nepal.org *
* *
* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
* *
* "LIFE: Indulgence vs Seeking Truth - Which is your forte?" -Sirdar_Khalifa *
* "If you don't stand up for something, you will fall for anything" -Dr. MLK *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" -Sirdar_Khalifa *
* "We have guided missiles and misguided men" -Dr. MLK *
* "Heros are the ones who give a bit of themselves to the community" -SK *
* *
******************************************************************************

************************************************************************* From: Rajpal J. Singh <a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu> To: TND Foundation <info-tnd@nepal.org> Subject: TND Foundation and non-profit status

Dear Global TND Members:

      For the past few months to a year, organizations around the world have
      shared their interests to foster relationships with TND. TND members
      couldn't be more proud and thankful for all the goodwills everyone has
      shown.

      Almost all of the informal and friendly approach by various organizaiton
      has been to allow TND to be an independent umbrella under the proposing
      organization. Again, this is such a great honor for all the TND members.

      TND has been a open forum for every organization all around the world.
      This is the spirit of TND. I believe it will be self-defeating to
      put TND under one particular organization. TND Foundaiton can serve the
      best, if it can operate as an open foundaiton for every organization
      to come and participate.

  TND Foundation is actively pursuing to be incorporated as non-profit status.
  Please send your thoughs to tnd@nepal.org. If you would like to actively
  participate in the Foundation activities, send email to tnd@nepal.org or
     a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu.

Here are the preliminary informal brain-stroming of thoughts:

1) TND Foundation: An Informaiton and Resource Center

Slogan: 24 Hours of Democracy

     2) TND Foundation Mission Statement:

         TND Foundation is a global non-profit information and
         resource center committed to promoting issues concerning
         Nepal, Nepalis and Friends of Nepal.

     3) TND Foundation Focus Activities (evolving) are:

           i. News/Views Publication - The Nepal Digest, Twice a week.

          ii. Electronic Information Centre http://www.nepal.org
                                                 http://www.himalaya.org
                                                 http://www.gurkhas.org

         iii. Resource Activities Institute

                     - Fund raising
                     - one stop central information center relating to Nepal
                     - solicit avenues to provide access to items (i) and (ii)
                       to 75 districts in Nepal
                     - resource allocation of tangible hardware and people
                       skills
                     - facilitate volunteer serices in Nepal for interested
                       individuals and organization

       iv) This bullet is available for committed members to add new ideas

Thank you for your continual efforts Rajpal J. Singh TND Foundation

*********************************************************************** From: TND Foundations <tnd@nepal.org> To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu> Subject: TND Foundation Contribution Fund

Dear TND members:

TND Foundations is accepting your generous contribution in an effort to
find a permanant home for The Nepal Digest (TND).

We are still short of required amount to pay for 1996 on-line
services for TND Foundation.

     You are encouraged to send your contribution payabale to:

            TND Foundations
            c/o Rajpal J. Singh
            44 Greenridge Ave
            White Plains, NY 10605

Following members have been kind with their generous contributions:

     Biswamber Shrestha Rockville, MD
     Malla Treks (Sushil U. Stan A.) Kathmandu, Nepal
     Mahesh K. Maskey Arlington, MA
     Rajpal J. Singh White Plains, NY
     Padam P. Sharma Bismarck,ND
     Lynn B. Reid Jamaica Plain, MA
     John Mage New York, NY
     Shyam Lama Arlington, VA
     Raju Tuladhar Alberta, Canada
     Robin Rajbhandari Nashville, TN
     Katharine N. Rankin Ithaca, NY
     Bhanu B. Niraula Flushing, NY
     Amulya R. Tuladhar Worcester, MA
     Rajesh B. Shrestha Worcester, MA
     Abi Sharma British Columbia, Canada
     Nirmal K. Bhattarai St. Paul, MN
     Suresh R. Sharma Rome, Italy
     Pawan/Nilima Agrawal Rancho Cordova, CA
     Dhruba Shrestha Bay City, MI
     Mary Deschene Baltimore, MD
     Tatsuro Fujikura Chicago, IL
     Pratyoush Onta Kathmandu, Nepal
     Anita Regmi Wheaton, MD
     Gregory G. Maskarinec Honolulu, Hawaii
     Robert Peirce Portland, OR
     Mahesh Gurung Chicago, IL
     Nirmal Ghimire Millersville, PA
     Raja Ram K.C. Somerville, MA
     Hari Koirala Mansfield Center, CT
     Sanjay Shrestha Chicago, IL
     Bal Krishna Sharma East Lansing, MI
     Subas Sakya Pumona, NY
     Marian E. Greenspan Beltsville, MD
     Sanjay B. Shah Blacksburg, VA
     Paul Johnson Santa Cruz, CA
     Bhaskar R. Dawadi Tallahassee, FL
     Damber K. Gurung Clemson, SC
     Sagar Shakya Boulder, CO
     Murari Pradhan Salt Lake City, UT
     Pramod Parajuli Syracuse, NY
     Raksha D. Malakar Amherst, MA
     Pramod Mishra Durham, NC
     Chandrakala Cranse Montpelier, VT
     Tilak B. Shrestha Gainesville, FL
     TND Member Bronx, NY

                  Total 1205.00

     TND offeres heartful thanks to all the generous contributors. If you
     have sent the contribution and do not see yourself on the list, please
     accept our apologies and let us know.

Sincerely TND Foundation tnd@nepal.org http://www.nepal.org
http://www.himalaya.org
http://www.gurkhas.org

********************************************************************** Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 19:10:12 -0500 From: deschene@JHUVMS.HCF.JHU.EDU (Mary Des Chene) Subject: A Message to Nepal Researchers To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu

I know that many foreigners who do research in Nepal subscribe to TND. I have therefore been surprised and saddened to see so few of our names appear in the list of contributors to the TND Foundation. We rarely contribute to the content of TND, but I'm sure that many others value it as I do. If you have ever posted a query here, benefitted from access to news or information, or learned something from TND debates and exchanges, then I urge you to reciprocate with a contribution. Or you might do so simply in support of the Nepali net-community. Reasons are not difficult to find.

Sincerely,

Mary Des Chene Co-Editor, Studies in Nepali History and Society http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~deschene/sinhas/index.html

**************************************************** Date: Fri, 22 Mar 1996 10:16:07 -0600 From: dawn star <cd@utopia.eunet.fr> To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu Subject: urgent, nepal govt addresses, ministers & embassies

Reply-To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu
"Rajpal J. Singh" <A10RJS1@cs.niu.edu

Would you kindly send me a list of the addresses, faxes, of the Nepali Government, anything you have on Human Rights organisations there, and names of the Ministers, their offices, addresses, and faxes, also if you have the same for Nepal ambassadors, which countries, and same adresse fax email information, thank you

christopher dietrich

%%%%%Editor's Note: Please provide Christopher if you happen to %%%%%
%%%%% have the information. %%%%%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

********************************************************************** Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 18:16:08 -0500 (EST) To: nepal@cs.niu.edu Subject: ARTICLE: Nepal - Amnesty International Activists Detained

Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------

Courtesy - Dr. Jai Maharaj

NEPAL: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISTS DETAINED

Amnesty International strongly protested the detention today of three members of the organization's Nepal Section. The activists were detained in connection with peaceful activities they were undertaking as part of a worldwide campaign against human rights violations in China.

Badri Khanal, Mani Ram Neupane and Pralad Basned were detained by Nepalese police in Kathmandu. They had set up a table at which they were collecting signatures and distributing material on human rights in China. Police officers took the activists into custody and confiscated a table, chairs, banners and other materials.

"Amnesty International strongly condemns the detention of its members for peaceful campaigning activities," the organization said. "This action by the Nepalese authorities is a clear violation of the right of Nepalese people to freedom of expression, and runs counter to Nepal's image as an open society."

"We call on the Nepal government to release the three immediately and unconditionally. The authorities should also ensure that Amnesty International members are allowed to continue in their peaceful campaigning activities without further harassment."

Despite this intimidation by the government, Amnesty International Nepal members plan to proceed with a demonstration tomorrow outside the Chinese Embassy to highlight the organization's concerns about the human rights situation in China. Amnesty International will be monitoring events closely, the organization said.

Amnesty International delegates in Bangkok were detained last week by the Thai police and prevented from attending a press conference to launch the campaign. Later the same day, Thai police and special forces in riot gear stopped the delegation at the entrance of the Chinese Embassy, where they wanted to deliver Amnesty International's report on China "No One is Safe."

"The actions by regional governments to obstruct our message show the degree to which they will bow to China's enormous power and influence," Amnesty International said.
"This sets a worrying pattern for the freedom of speech in the region, and sends a clear message to the people of China that the international community is not serious about protecting their human rights."

"The Chinese government is not content with silencing those who speak up in China. Their message is loud and clear: no discussion about our human rights record. Anywhere, by anyone, at any time."

"Other governments may help to shelter China from international criticism, but they will not stop us."

*********************************************************** From: Rajesh Shrestha <rshresth@husc.harvard.edu> Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 18:20:30 -0500 (EST) To: nepal@cs.niu.edu Subject: Nepal Prime Minister Survives No-confidence Move

Cross-posted from misc.news.southasia:
-------------------------------------

Courtesy: S. Ramani, NCST, Bombay

      Kathmandu, Mar 24 (PTI) Nepalese prime minister Sher Bahadur Thapa had a sigh of relief today when he survived a no-confidence motion filed by the main opposition party, the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) against six-month-old, three-party coalition government at a special session of the Pratinidhi Sabha (lower house of parliament) here.
      The opposition could manage only 90 votes in favour of the no-trust motion while the three-party coalition mustered 106 votes to defeat the motion.
      Thanking the coalition partners and members of his Nepali Congress party, Mr Deuba said, ''I am happy about the outcome of the vote. we were able to sort out our differences.''
      Mr Pashupati S.J.B. Rana, leader of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, the second largest partner in the ruling coalition, said: ''I am fully satisfied that RPP has come out as an integrated unit to defeat the motion''. Mr Rana was one of the main rpp leaders responsible for restoring unity in the party which had been in the eye of a controversy for the last 14 days.
      Mr Gajendra Narayan Singh, leader of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party, the third coalition partner, said '' the defeat of the motion is the defeat of the anti-democratic forces and the result shows that the future of democracy is bright in Nepal. It also proves that a coalition government can work in the country.''
      The former prime minister and leader of the opposition, Mr Manmohan Adhikari said ''we accept the defeat gracefully''.

*********************************************************** Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 18:23:26 -0500 (EST) To: nepal@cs.niu.edu Subject: Nepal government victory called short-term respite

Cross-posted from clari.world.asia.south:
----------------------------------------

         KATHMANDU, March 25 (Reuter) - Nepal's fractious coalition government has survived a no-confidence motion but opposition communists and analysts said on Monday that an end to the Himalayan kingdom's unsettled politics was nowhere in sight.
         Nepal's lower house of parliament on Sunday rejected the motion against Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's six-month-old centre-right government by a 106-90 vote.
         The motion fell short only after five government ministers withdrew their resignations at the last minute, backtracking on a pledge to round up enough supporters to topple the government.
         The ministers were close to Lokendra Bahadur Chand, who heads a splinter faction of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party
(RPP), the government's second largest partner.
         Chand, who was tipped to head a new government with the communists' support if the motion had prevailed, did not show up at parliament for the vote.
         Reached afterwards by Reuters, he declined to comment on the outcome.
         Eighteen of the 19 RPP members of parliament joined 85 members from the major coalition partner, the Nepali Congress party, and three other lawmakers in voting against the motion. Chand was absent.
         The United Marxist-Leninist (UML) opposition group led the vote against the government with 88 votes for the no-confidence motion. Two other lawmakers joined them.
         Deuba took office last September after the previous communist government was defeated in a similar no-confidence vote only nine months after winning elections in late 1994.
         A spokesman for the UML said the communists had yet to decide the next step in their month-long bid to topple the coalition.
         ``It is only the motion that has been defeated,'' said UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal. ``The people's problems we raised are intact and the arrogance of the main ruling (Nepali Congress) party is not over.''
         Analysts said the fact that an anti-government splinter group still existed within the RPP raised questions about the durability of the coalition.
         The RPP is sharply divided between Chand and party president Surya Bahadur Thapa, who supported the tripartite government.
         Local Development Minister Kamal Thapa, who withdrew his resignation to vote in favour of the government, said the rebel group had reached an understanding with the government.
         He said the government had promised to address RPP complaints that it was being marginalised by the Nepali Congress, the biggest member of the coalition.
         But ministers representing the Nepali Congress said no deal had been reached.
         Sridhar Khatri, a political science professor at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University, said the motion failed because the kingdom craved political stability.
         ``The vote has shown us that frequent change of governments without concrete cause is not palatable,'' Khatri told Reuters.
         Prime Minisiter Deuba, who was visibly happy over the outcome of the vote, vowed to quicken development programmes and asked the UML to join ``the path of national consensus'' for political stability and democracy in Nepal.
         Khadga Prasad Oli, a senior UML member, told Reuters his party was ready to cooperate with the government. ``But the government needs to create that sort of climate,'' Oli added.

************************************************************* Date: Fri, 22 Mar 1996 10:16:07 CST To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu From: dawn star <cd@utopia.eunet.fr> Subject: urgent, nepal govt addresses, ministers & embassies

The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu
"Rajpal J. Singh" <A10RJS1@cs.niu.edu

christopher dietrich

***********************************************************************************************

*********************************************************************************************** From: "DAMBER GURUNG" <DGURUNG@poole.ag.clemson.edu> To: nepal@cs.niu.edu Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 16:51:00 ET Subject: AMNESTY INTER. CONDEMNS NEPAL'S ACTION AGAINST DEMONS. ON CHINA'

1.NEPAL: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNS
DETENTION OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS

Amnesty International strongly protested the action taken by Nepalese authorities today to break up a peaceful demonstration against human rights violations in China. Police detained scores of people, including members of Amnesty International's Nepal Section and the Tibetan community.

The demonstration had been organized by Amnesty International's Nepal members as part of a worldwide campaign on the human rights situation in China. The authorities had been notified in advance of the demonstration in accordance with local procedures. Police detained the activists as they assembled in central Kathmandu before marching to the Chinese Embassy.

"Amnesty International strongly condemns this action by the Nepalese authorities. It is a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression in Nepal," the organization said. "We call on the Nepal government to release those detained immediately and unconditionally."

"These detentions run counter to Nepal's image as an open society. The authorities should ensure that non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International are allowed to continue in their peaceful campaigning activities without further harassment."

This action followed the detention overnight of three Amnesty International members in Kathmandu on 17 March. The three were detained by Nepalese police while they were sitting at a table collecting signatures and distributing material on human rights in China. Police officers confiscated banners and other materials.

A fourth Amnesty International member was held by police on the morning of 18 March when he visited the police station at which the members were being detained.

"The actions by regional governments to obstruct our message show the degree to which they will bow to China's enormous power and influence," Amnesty International said. "This sets a worrying pattern for the freedom of speech in the region, and sends a clear message to the people of China that the international community is not serious about protecting their human rights."

"The Chinese government is not content with silencing those who speak up in China. Their message is loud and clear: no discussion about our human rights record. Anywhere, by anyone, at any time."

"Other governments may help to shelter China from international criticism, but they will not stop us."

Amnesty International expressed particular concern about local Tibetan people detained in connection with the demonstration.

"Those Tibetans without papers may be at risk of deportation to China," the organization said. "Amnesty International calls on the Nepal government not to deport any Tibetans to China where they may be at risk of further human rights violations."

*********************************************************** Date: Wed, 20 Mar 1996 05:34:26 -0500 (EST) From: atuladhar@vax.clarku.edu Subject: Nepal related NSF-funded reserach (fwd) To: THE NEPAL DIGEST <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>

Title : The Kinematics of Continental Collisions, 1: Global
              Positioning System Geodetic Survey of Nepal
          This award supports two projects to use GPS geodesy to
     determine the vertical and horizontal positions of survey markers
     space d at crucial locations across the active Himalayan
     deformation that marks the collision zone between the
     Indo/Australian Plate and the Euro/Asian Plate. The first of
     these projects is to conduct measurements in Nepal, the second to
     undertake measurements in Pakistan. The PIs will remeasure the
     GPS control points after a period of several years to monitor
     their relative motions, and thereby determine the strain field
     along the two traverses. The projects are being established as
     long-term collaboration between v.s. scientists and counterparts
     in Nepal and Pakistan.

Title : Thermotectonic Evolution and Exhumation of a Modern
              Collisional Orogen (Everest Region of Nepal Himalaya)
      9316974 Stump The Himalaya provides an opportunity to study
     continent- continent orogenesis. This project will collect fission-track
     data and structural information from the Everest area of eastern Nepal
     to address the thermotectonic and exhumation history of the Higher
     Himalaya. Results will be useful in determining uplift dynamics and
     climatic/environmental effects of the Himalaya's rise.

Title : (ESH) The Development of the Asian Monsoon: Seasonal
              Isotopic Variation in the Paleorivers of Nepal,
              12 Ma to 1 Ma Abstract :
     9510033 Dettman The Asian Monsoon is one of the largest and most
     important weather systems on Earth. The development of a strong monsoon
     climate has been identified as a possible cause of the expansion of C4
     grasslands and an oxygen isotope shift in soil carbonates in Pakistan and
     Nepal. This study will examine the development of the modern monsoon, one
     dominated by the high Tibetan Plateau which today virtually precludes any
     dry-season precipitation. The isotopic composition of aragonitic molluscs
     will be used to reconstruct the seasonal isotopic variation of rivers in
     the foothills of the Himalayas between 12 and 1 Ma (million years before
     present). By combining the 18O of micro-sampled weekly or monthly shell
     growth increments with temperature estimates based on fossil floral
     assemblages, the seasonal change in the 18O of river water can be
     calculated. The goal of these measurements is to examine the isotopic
     composition of river waters on a seasonal basis in order to estimate the
     aridity of the dry season and the seasonal variability of rainfall.
     Strong seasonal aridity is indicated by positive 18O values of surface
     water in the dry season. The seasonal amount of precipitation can be
     roughly estimated because the isotopic composition of rainfall is a
     function of the amount of rainfall at low latitudes. Shell carbonates 13C
     of carbon in the rivers. This allows changes in the 18O record to be
     directly related to changes in the plant biomass of the region (C3 versus
     C4). Nepal will be the primary focus of this study because of the useful
     stratigraphic distribution of well preserved molluscs, but some shell beds
     in Pakistan will also be studied to allow comparison of different regions
     under the influence of the Asian Monsoon.

---------------- Dharma raj Thapa, the jana kabi keshari of panche sarkar is now Life Member of Royal Nepal Academy for Science and Technology, thanks to fellow paschime, govinda raj joshi, who is the minister of education in nepal.

"ho ho maale ho ho ho ho maale ho ho

hariyo danda maathi halo jotne saathi

ronast ghoda maathi jana kabi keshari"

What nonsense, what is more despicable than govind joshi appointing a clture person in science and techn organization is jana kabi keshair accepting this position, he should be ashamed, or does he want an extra income from the allowances of a "life member"

we can all concede that he can be a life member of the royal nepal academy, the organization for arts and letters, but ths incident reminds me that nepal has not come very far from the rana days when a newly retned graduate was asked, "so what degree do you hold?" "Horticulture" was the reply. "Then thou shald be the Minister of Culture" was the decree to this higly educated rana cousin.

at cu

Some comments re: March 19 TND issue:

"Safaa" tempos:
================

I am glad to see some interest in safaar tempos, including the technohype about how all the environment, development, and job problems of Kathmandu will be solved by safaa tempos.

Curiously missing in this "article" by someone who is doing his "Masters of Science" in AIT is any attention to the issue of toxic hazards, the other pollution of Kathmandu valley.

How will the introduction of large scale batteries for the 5000+ electric tempos be addressed when it comes to disposing them, will Global Resources Institute and USAID who are championing them, take them back to US, Are any AIT or other technophiliacs researching this issue of hazardous issues? i am curious.

Another claim in this article caught my fancy, it is said the air pollution of kathmandu has as its highest sources the auto emissions,

hmmm, i am wondering what proportion the brick kilns of the valley contribute to the total air pollution. anyone flying into kathmandu or out on a clear day can see innumberable stacks of brick kiln
"bhattis" spewing smoke into the sky and there are numesous seasonal bhatties that are clsoed down during monson season for rice cultivation too.

One would imagine that the single bigggest driver of pollution in Kathmandu is the urban boom, so all that buildings need not only cement an d concrete (remember the HImal cement factor smoke plume flowing into Kathamandu) one could expect all that building materieals (brick, cement, charcoal production, fuelwood burning) to be strong claimants to the position of being the top contribution to total air pollution in nepal. I am sure there is a spatial dimension to this problem. air around Ratna partwill definitely be high in lead and nitroous oxides from the leaded fuel of he heavy fumes of vehicles, while kirtipur air is more heavily affected by himal cemeent air pollutions and harisiddhi and thimi suburbs would be suffering from brik kiln poolutions.

2. "Himal" too small for "South-Asia"

All of us Himal fans are pretty proud that Kanak Dixit is capitalizing on his regional success of being a hill-billy :) think-paper to be the glitzy and sophisticated alternate to Far Eastern Review?

Kanak probably does not want to lose his faithful Himal readers by keeping the name of Himal in this South Asia metamorphosis, but is not Himal now too small, geographically, and politically in the great whalefish concept of "South-Asia"- an appelation which the Indians like to arrogate to themselves in thier self-serving ambition to the exclusive subcontinenbal power, for evidence, just skim the many south asia appellated fora in the electronic usenets, it is virtually all indian and the presence of bhutan, bangladesh, or pakistan is perfunctory at best, let us see ow long kanak can keep the nepali roots of Souuth Asia Himal, himali in the future, and best of luck...

3. A must surf neww Nepal website

[http://ncgia.ucsb.edu/~uwe/npldemo/nplgif/]

For those of you who have access to nifty graphics browsers as Netscape, Mosaic, or Internet Explorer or anyother graphics web browsers who have searched for "Nepal" related home pages, skimmed through the 10-20 different home pages that are incestually cross-referenced to include precious little than Rajendra shrestha's pioneering nepal page, and those who have seen all those grainy postcards pictures of nepal and grainier nepali newspapers like janmabhumi and are dying to see more neat graphics than these not-very-informative (to Nepalese anyway) junko-tole of the info superhighway, please surf the above web site or,if it is legal, include tha int he favourite home page links in the multi nepal home pages.

This web site contains a demonstration of the use of GIS data and graphics cababilityto infer various social variables of nepal spatially. The data is not original, all the Central Bureau of Nepal stats book based but all this datahas been compiled and digitized spatially into maps for a UN project for the Global Demography Project run by the National Center for Geographic Informtion Analysis (NCGIA) at the University of California in Santa Barbara by Uwe Diechman.

This web site has nifty graphics of multiple maps of nepal withvarious social data included from the census. this includes age, sex, literary, hosptial distributio by districts to name just a few. For of you who are looking for digitized maps of nepal and do not want to digiize manually, her e is the place to get it, assuming you know some GIS to convert them.

The gis software used is ARC/INfo and some of the derivative data developed included themapping of the "hospital catcement areas" ie the areas served by one medical site by use of gis and social data is demostrated, also demostrate is the migration patten by age and years across different distrcts of Nepal.

While i am on the topic, i may also note that the Feb issue of GIS world, a trade journl has a front page articel on the Urban explosion of Kathmandu with the bustling market place of Ason on the cover, this article is by Barry Haack, who studied urban expansion using Spot satellite imagery and decided that it could not be done since the cement houses in the suburbs could not be distinguished from the sand and mud of nearby villages, and housesof thevillages around the valley had thatch roofs whose reflectance values were indistinguishable from thedry grasses of gaucharans nearby too.

amulya clark u

****************************************************** Date: Wed, 20 Mar 1996 16:58:49 -0500 (EST) From: "Bh@nu.Neupane" <neup2011@mach1.wlu.ca> Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - March 19, 1996 (6 Chaitra 2052 BkSm) To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>

Namaste,

Well, its time to say goodbye to fellow subscribers. Soon I'll be leaving for Pakistan and Nepal for my field work. I've taken inactive status from school for summer and fall and I may extend it until winter of next year. Please UNSUBSCRIBE my name from the distribution list. I'll request a subscription when I'll return from Pakistan.

I also want to convey that I have changed my travel arrangements(a note to friends wanting to send perishable goodies...). Something has come up and now I'll be stopping at Hongkong for a month. I've internet access in Hongkong <BNeupane@science.uhk.ac.hk>, however, it may not be as accessible as it is here. However, I'll be enjoying your good work by browsing through the SCN and Nepali homepages. I'll be coming back to canada for 14 days in June and I may use somebody elses' account to say Hi!

I'll spend at least three months in Rasuwa district. Apparently, walking up and down the mountains and glaciers. Later in summer or early fall, I'll leave for Pakistan. I'll spend most of my time in a small village, Hunza in NWDP. I'll have internet access, most probably I'll use the postmaster's account of Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan at Peshawar. Well, its gonna be quite an experience for me. If I live through my ordeal, I'll certainly share my experience with fellow subcribers. A contrasting experience of the Himalaya and Karakoram!

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Editors for their altruism. Especially, to ackowledge Raj and Sher's "reign" and "roar" for the betterment of TND I'll have to find a new line of phrageology!

ALL THE BEST! I want to wish all of you a very prosperous Happy New Year 2053, Dashain and 1997.

Bida!!!

Bh@nu.Neupane

"When the water of a place is bad it is safest to drink none that has not been filtered through either the berry of a grape, or else a tub of malt. These are the most reliable filters yet invented. So think globally but drink locally"

- Samuel Butler and Mountain Tavern, Fort Collins, Colorado

*************************************************************************** Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 09:34:54 -0100 To: nepal-request@cs.niu.edu From: shrestha@allen.allen.nwu.edu

Dear Editor,

I would be glad if you could post this note for a friend of mine.

"LOOKING FOR A SIMILAR INTEREST LADY"

I am a single male, age 31, height 5'4", and 130 lbs. I am adventurous, outgoing, entreprenurial, independent, open minded, sensitive, honest, healthy, monogamous and looking for steady relationship. Hobby: photography, film making (documantary), interest in flora and fauna, and classical music.

You are: Single female, age 24 - 33, any race, like to share similar interest, and
believes in commitment.

Please write me, what you think about life? I will write, or call you
(phone optional).

My add: Rame S.
P.O. Box 10496
Chicago, Il 60610

**************************************************************** Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 11:31:21 -0100 To: nepal-request@cs.niu.edu From: shrestha@allen.allen.nwu.edu (Sanjay Shrestha) Subject: New Year Celebration

Dear Editor, I would appreciate if you would post this article.

2053 - NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AT CHICAGOLAND AREA.

Chicagoland Nepalese families and friends invites you to celebrate our 2053rd New Year. The objective of this program, besides the New Year celeb., is to bring forth our rich culture, tradition and heritage, especially to younger American-Nepalese and well-wishers of Nepal.

The program will begin precisely at 6pm, Welcome speech, Guest speaker(s), followed by snacks and Sanskritik Karyakram. Dinner will be served around 9:30pm, and then later hasya-byanga karyakram, and finally, open dance.

Time: 6:00pm - 2:00am Date: 12th April, Friday Place: Banquet Hall @ Viceroy of India
2520 W. Devon Ave
Chicago, Il Admission fee is $12 for adults, and $5 for kids under 12. P.S: RSVP required.(dateline: 4th of April)

Please call, or e-mail if you are interested, or even have questions regarding directions and accomodation: Nilendra Jha/Sanjay Shrestha @ 312-275-2541 or email: shrestha@allen.allen.nwu.edu Rahi Gurung @ 312-275-5024 or email: rgu131@nwu.edu or Dr. Sohan Khatiwada @ 708-960-5026

This program is being organized by the Greater Chicago Students Association.

********************************************************************** Subject: News re Amnesty International in Nepal To: nepal@cs.niu.edu Date: Fri, 22 Mar 96 19:59:05 PST From: Paul Johnson <paulj@bbs.cruzio.com>

This News Service is posted by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ
(Tel +44-71-413-5500, Fax +44-71-956-1157) Sender: Amnesty_International@io.org
News Service 57/96

17 MARCH 1996

NEPAL: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISTS DETAINED

"The Chinese government is not content with silencing those who speak up in China. Their message is loud and clear: no discussion about our human rights record. Anywhere, by anyone, at any time."

"Other governments may help to shelter China from international criticism, but they will not stop us."

-- There is nothing so strong as gentleness, Paul Johnson nothing so gentle as real strength... Santa Cruz, CA Morehei Ueshiba Sensei (408) 426-1397

********************************************************************** Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 08:24:13 +0000 From: Damber K. Gurung Subject: Yound American Lama's Mother Ready to say Goodbye

Young American lama's mother ready to say goodbye (Reuter) -----------------------------------------------------------

KATMANDU, Nepal (Reuter) 21 March - The mother of a 4-year-old American boy watches her son as he sits mesmerized by a Winnie the Pooh cartoon and says she is resigned to leaving him behind in Nepal.

For Carollyn Lama is the mother of Sonam Wangdu, a stocky, brown-haired Anglo-Saxon boy who Buddhist priests have hailed as the fourth incarnation of the head teacher of Tibetan Buddhists in Nepal.

"I will be very sad," Lama told Reuters. "But I knew this is going to happen before he was born."

She says she and her husband, a Seattle restaurant worker who died in a car accident two years ago, had dreamed that their son would be the incarnation of Deshung Rinpoche even before he was born.

"He is always a very happy child -- since he came here, he is the happiest I have ever seen him," says Lama, who converted to Buddhism seven years ago and likes to be called Dawa Drolma.

Wangdu, dressed in trousers and a pullover, quarrelled and frolicked with young lamas on the sprawling lawns of the Tharlam Monastery that is run by Nepal's more than 12,000-strong Tibetan refugee community.

"I enjoy it," he told Reuters while drinking his coffee.

Wangdu, like his mother, speaks only American-accented English but he has already started learning Tibetan from the lamas around him.

"He is an interesting addition to our family," said a young local lama, gesturing towards his new friend.

The boy and his mother seem unperturbed by the mystery shrouding the disappearance of a 6-year-old boy whom the Dalai Lama, Tibet's god-king, chose as the second holiest senior priest in Tibetan Buddhism.

China rejected his choice and appointed another 6-year-old boy as a rival reincarnation of the late Panchen Lama.

The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India's Himalayan town of Dharamsala since 1959 along with thousands of his followers after an abortive uprising against the Chinese annexation of Tibet in 1950.

As the Rinpoche, Wangdu will some day be entrusted with the task of teaching Buddhist Sakya Pa philosophy to thousands of young monks at the monastery in Nepal.

Tempa Wangchuk, a philosophy teacher at the monastery, said the little lama would be taught Tibetan in the Himalayan kingdom for the next five or six years before being sent to India to study Buddhist literature, religion and philosophy at a Buddhist college.

"He learns at accelerated rates," Carollyn Lama said. "He talks great but he is stubborn."

Wangdu, who was enthroned more than two years ago, wears traditional brown Buddhist robes when he attends religious ceremonies but has not yet shaven his head.

"He cannot marry, but he can lead a normal life inside the monastery," Wangchuk told Reuters. He said the small boy had a sharp mind and was a quick learner.

His mother says she plans to leave for Seattle towards the end of March to return to her job of taking care of the aged and the infirm.

"He has thousands of students who are all waiting for him to give training," she says. "How can I stand in the way of that? To have your child raised in something you believe in so strongly is like a blessing."

********************************************************************** Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 14:38:51 -0500 From: BAL SUVEDI <BSUVEDI@PHNET.SPH.JHU.EDU> To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu Subject: Request

Kindly post it in the TND.

I will be visiting San Fransisco, California to attend a conference of College of Physicians in fourth week of April 1996. If I could meet some Nepali friends residing in the vicinity it would be superb. Please kindly respond to E-mail address: bsuvedi@phnet.sph.jhu.edu

Thanks. B. K. Suvedi

************************************************************************* Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1996 19:39:42 PST To: info-tnd@nepal.org From: Kala Nidhi Pandit <pand9551@uidaho.edu> Subject: Are there some Nepalese in Boise, Idaho

I was wondering if someone knows that there are some Nepalese studying or working in Boise, Idaho. I would appreciate if someone could provide this information.

Thanks.

**************************************************************************** Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 12:25:08 -0800 (PST) From: oz@edd.org To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu> Subject: Request for info on vegetation maps of Nepal

The Editor: I would be very grateful if you would put up this notice on The Nepal Digest. I am looking for vegetation maps of Nepal, either hard-copy or digital. This is for a project that serves to protect the snow leopard in our country as well as other range countries. I can be contacted at <oz@edd.org>.

Thank you very much. Janita Gurung.

*************************************************************************** Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 14:53:01 PST To: webmaster-tnd@nepal.org From: Chris Burno <cburno@ball.com> Subject: (no subject)

Namaste!

Please send information on parasitic infestations in Kathamdu! I will be visiting soon and have a projest due in 2 weeks!

Namaste Maurie Graves RN c/o Cburno@ball.com

****************************************************************************** * * * The Nepal Digest(TND) is a publication of TND Foundation, a global * * not-for-profit information and resource center committed to promoting * * issues concerning Nepal. All members of tnd@nepal.org will get a copy of * * The Nepal Digest (TND). Membership is free of charge and open to all. * * * * TND Foundation Home Page: http://www.nepal.org * * http://www.himalaya.org * * http://www.gurkhas.org * * For More Information: info-tnd@nepal.org * * webmaster email: webmaster-tnd@nepal.org * * * * TND Foundation contributions can be mailed payable to: * * TND Foundation * * c/o RJ Singh * * 44 Greenridge Ave * * White Plains, NY 10605, USA * * * * Subscription/Deletion requests : TND@NEPAL.ORG * * Provide one line message: sub nepal "lastname, firstname, mi" <user@host> * * [OPTIONAL] Provide few lines about your occupation, address, phone for * * TND database to: <TND@NEPAL.ORG> * * * * Snail-Mail Correspondences to: Rajpal J.P. Singh * * Founder/Ad-hoc Coordinator * * TND Foundation * * 44 Greenridge Ave * * White Plains, New York 10605, U.S.A. * * * * Digest Contributions: NEPAL@MP.CS.NIU.EDU * * THE EDITOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT ARTICLES FOR CLARITY. * * Contributors need to supply Header for the article, email, and full name. * * * * Postings are divided into following categories that are listed in the * * order below. Please provide category-type in the header of your e-mail. * * * * 1. Message from TND Editorial Board * * 2. Letter to the Editor * * 3. TAJA_KHABAR: Current News * * 4. KATHA_KABITA: Literature * * 5. KURA_KANI: Economics * * Agriculture * * Forestry * * Health * * Education * * Technology * * Social Issues * * Cultural Issues * * Environment * * Tourism * * Foreign Policy * * History * * Military/Police * * Politics * * 6. CHOOT_KILA (Humor, Recipies, Movie Reviews, Sattaires etc.) * * 7. JAN_KARI: Classifides (Matrimonials, Jobs etc) * * 8. KHOJ_KHABAR (Inquiring about Nepal, Nepalis etc. ) * * 9. TITAR_BITAR: Miscellaneous (Immigration and Taxex etc. ) * * * * **** COPYRIGHT NOTE **** * * The news/article posters are responsible for any copyright violations. * * TND, a non-profit electronic journal, will publish articles that has * * been published in other electronic or paper journal with proper credit * * to the original media. * * * ******************************************************************************

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% % %% END OF "THE NEPAL DIGEST". % %% % %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Next message: The Editor: "The Nepal Digest - April 13, 1996 (1 Baishakh 2053 BkSm)"
Previous message: The Editor: "The Nepal Digest - March 21, 1996 (8 Chaitra 2052 BkSm)"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Jan 11 2000 - 11:15:52 CST