Articles and Poems

Lumbini is formally included in the World Heritage List

Anil Sakya (Bhikkhu Sugandha)
- Brunel University, UK

 The World Heritage Committee meeting in Naples, Italy, has formally included LUMBINI, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in the World Heritage List. This was announced by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation on Thursday the 4th December 1997 in Naples, Italy.

The World Heritage List states Lumbini is inscribed on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria iii and vi:

‘As the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, the sacred area of Lumbini is one of the holiest places of one of the world’s great religions, and its remains contain important evidence about the nature of Buddhist pilgrimage centres from a very early period.’

According to Association Press Lumbini was included with dozens of other sites like Pompeii as world cultural treasures, and wildlife parks in Africa and an ancient Albanian village on Unesco’s endangered culture list.

All of the 10 cultural and natural sites proposed by Italy won entry on Unesco’s World Heritage list, announced at a conference in Naples.

Selection makes sites eligible for Unesco funding and improves their chances in lobbying home countries and international organisations for money and technical expertise needed for restoration and improved security.

Before this conference, 506 sites had earned Unesco’s designation during the last quarter-century. Four dozen sites were added to the list on 4 December 1997.

The committee’s recommendations for future action at Lumbini is to mobilise international resources in scientific and technical fields and in site management, especially with regard to ancillary services for visitors and pilgrims.

The original nomination of Lumbini, which was deferred by the World Heritage Bureau at its 17th Session in June 1993, included a number of separate archaeological sites associated with the life and work of the Lord Buddha. Two of these, Kapilavastu (Tilaurakot), where the Lord Buddha lived as Prince Siddhartha before his enlightenment, and Ramagrama, the only relic stupa not opened by Ashoka, now figure as individual sites on the tentative list submitted by the State Party, which has been advised by a former President of the World Heritage Committee to combine them with Lumbini as a serial nomination.

The committee for considering, ICOMOS has shown their no objection in principle to this proposal, but it is of the opinion that the current state of knowledge, conservation, and management of both is not sufficiently advanced to permit their being included in the present nomination. It recommends therefore that this should await the completion of the programme of non-destructive archaeological investigation, using geophysical techniques, during the coming biennium and preparation of satisfactory conservation and management plans.

Once this work has been completed, the State Party should be invited to submit the two sites as extensions to an existing inscribed site of Lumbini, with a change of title indicating the association of all three with the life and work of the Lord Buddha.

- Rabindra Mishra

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has agreed to open her account books and records of the Royal Household to scrutiny by parliamentary auditors for the first time. An announcement in this regard is expected by mid-February. This will reveal how £20.4 million of taxpayers’ money is spent in the royal palaces such as Buckingham palace and Windsor Castle, the royal residence. Though this is being done only after the call from the House of Common’s Public Accounts Committee, it is one of many recent gestures shown by the queen after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in an effort to keep the monarchy in tune with public demands.

There have been changes in the British monarchy in recent years. The queen has started paying income tax, the public have been admitted to see the paintings at the palace, the royal train and the royal yacht have been abandoned and the royal family has cut its cost by 39 percent in seven years. That process of change has been expedited after the car-accident death of Diana. Now, the queen is under pressure to reduce the size of the royal household and strip dozens of officials of their ceremonial titles. Besides the demands to make the monarchy less expensive, many people in Britain also think that if the monarchy is to survive in the changing world, it has to shed its traditionally formal and mystique image and have a common touch - like that of Princess Diana, whom the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, called the "People’s Princess" after her death.

Princess Diana, the most popular member of the British royal family, was considered a modern princess with a common touch and at the same time with a royal grace. She epitomised the ideal of British public’s view of modern royalty. Her sudden death evoked such a public emotion of grief that no one had witnessed since the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. Those who had not wept in their parents’ loss, wept at her death. The queen, on the other hand, stayed in Balmoral castle in Scotland, where she was vacationing, and did not come out to console the nation until she was forced to do so by overwhelming public pressure. She was accused of being obsessed with tradition and protocol and being cold, uncaring and remote. That was the time she acknowledged the need for the monarchy to learn lessons. The events since then have shown that both the queen and the heir to the throne, Prince of Wales, seem to have realized the fact that to be open, informal and approachable do not dent their dignity rather enhances it.

The Prince went to South Africa in an official visit in early November, which was his first tour after the death of Diana. And the press was delighted to see what some have described as "a new Prince." The reason: he was talking to accompanying journalists frequently, was more informal and relaxed unlike on previous visits. Similarly, the seventy-one-year old queen has tried to change her own style and approach. She was also seen more friendly and relaxed in recent public engagements. In November, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary, the queen said that the royal family must heed public opinion if it was to adapt to the future, and she would endeavour to interpret public opinion correctly. Their changed attitude and approach have been received very favourably by the public and a recent MORI poll has shown their popularity gone up significantly.

After the restoration of democracy in 1990, Nepalese monarchy has also witnessed a major change in its functioning: the all powerful king has become a ceremonial head acting on advice and recommendation of the Prime Minister. Though King Birendra had given up his absolute power only after the people’s movement, his conduct after the introduction of democracy has been far better than that of the politicians, who, many say, have lost people’s faith but are ruling just because people have not seen any better option. Because of the king’s conduct as a constitutional monarch and due to the growing disenchantment towards the politicians, his popularity is consistently on the rise. But the king should not take this for granted. If he wants to maintain or boost his popularity, it is time to consider reform in Narayanhiti Palace as well.

Sliming down the size of the royal family and other measures to make it more economical could be one of the considerations. British royal family generates more money for the nation’s coffers and several charitable projects than the state spends on them. Secondly, members of the royal family should stop behaving as if they are immune to law. The palace must have been aware of the hostile reaction of the press and the public when Prince Paras received preferential treatment after traffic accidents caused by drink-driving, one of which killed a taxi driver. Some may question as to why only the royal family be expected to behave in a perfect manner when the politicians are behaving so badly ? The answer is: politicians may come and go but monarchy by nature expects to survive for generations therefore their action should reflect that long-term interest.

Like the British monarchy, the Nepalese monarchy may need a bit of Dianafication. Public would appreciate if its members involved themselves sincerely in various social works. Similarly, the king has to be more open and approachable to his subjects (not only to the foreigners). There are many distinguished and ordinary people in Nepal who have unsuccessfully requested for an audience with the King. Their request does not get beyond the secretaries at the palace, who many complain, behave themselves as a royalty even after the restoration of democracy. However, an English man called Richard Morley, who is described as dubious by many in Britain and has adopted a Nepalese boy, was able to see the King on his short visit to Nepal recently. Only because he fought a highly-publisized legal battle in Britain to keep the Nepalese boy with him and he has a few development plans for Nepal do not mean he can have such an easy access to the king when Nepalese find the same so difficult. His Majesty seems to have been ill-advised on the matter like in so many others. His Majesty certainly has changed a lot after the restoration of democracy, but his courtier, who probably love the status quo, has not. And there lies the problem. The whites-are-great-mentality seems prevalent not only among the ordinary Nepalese but also among high-ranking officials and even many members of the royal family in Nepal. Probably that might have been a contributing factor to the audience granted to Mr Morley. Many Nepalese also complain about members of the royal family being more friendly to "white" guests at embassy gatherings abroad. This sort of attitude will only make them unpopular when they are trying to improve their image in recent years. It has to be noted that only a good king is not enough for good monarchy.

(The author works with the BBC Nepalese Service in London)

'QUIT' smoking - you can do it !

- Padma Prakash Shrestha M.A
Trans-Cultural Counsellor

It is never too late to stop smoking now. We do realise that health is, indeed, wealth. We should save it before it is too late ! If you stop smoking, you save a substantial amount of your wealth as you saving can be used for enhancing your personal freedom and the freedom of your environment.

There is no things such as a safe cigarette. A lighted cigarette generated over 2000 chemicals. The smoke inhaled contains both gases and an aerosol of particular matter - Tar and Nicotine. As cigarettes burns, the concentration of tar and nicotine increases. Only a small proportion is subsequently exhaled, i.e. 100% Carbon Monoxide, 90% Nicotine and 70% Tar is retained. Over half of the premature death while smoking are due to arterial disease; heart attacks, stroke, failing circulation in the arms and legs. Other important causes are lung cancers, bronchitis and emphysema.

Children of parents who smoke have an increased frequency of asthma and viral bronchitis, and a greater chance f getting ‘glue ear’ which can lead to partial deafness. 50 children a day, scientific research tends to show, under the age of 5 years, are admitted to hospital with illness related to passive smoking.

4000 normal foetus are lost every year because of smoking. Cigarette smoking is associated with and increased risk of spontaneous abortion and bleeding during the pregnancy. Quitting in the first three months of pregnancy reduces the impact of smoking on birth weight, Cutting down, however, does not appear to reduce the risk.

Parental attitude has a considerable effect on the smoking behaviour of young people. Everyday, research show, 1000 young people light-up their first cigarette. 300 of these become career smokers. The rates are falling for boys, but nor for girls. 75% of adult smokers started before 18 years of age. It is important for parents to talk to their children about smoking, adopting a supportive and understanding attitude without nagging. Letting the child know that they care and would prefer it if they did not smoke, is also important. Talk honestly and find out why they do/do not want to stop !

Non-smokers are at risk of contracting lung cancer from exposure to other peoples smoke. The UK Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health, found that the research findings were consistent with and increased risk of lung cancer in non-smokers of between 10% and 30%. On this basis, passive smoking is believed to be the cause of several hundred lung cancer deaths in non-smokers each year.

Various degrees of smoking are harmful to everyone. I think, we should follow a better path. i.e. Quit Smoking. You can do it ! You must have realised what are the effect and outcome because of smoking. You can do it - Quit smoking !

I would like to suggest these ways to quit. You can do it if you follow the ten steps of Quit Smoking :-

          1. Make a date to stop
          2. Keep busy, especially during the first few days
          3. Drink lots of water
          4. Get more active
          5. Think positive
          6. Change your routine
          7. No excuses for celebration
          8. Treat yourself - due to saving
          9. Watch what you eat
          10. take one day at a time

Next time I will explain it in detail about the above matters. Meanwhile, you can do it ! If you cannot do it, then you need real help. There is a charity ‘quit line’ help-line for smokers who needs help to quit. There are various numbers for people who are seeking help in their efforts to give up smoking. These numbers can be found in our local telephone directories and help is available in many Asian languages. But I think, now you can do a favour to yourself, your environment and quit smoking !