Articles and Poems

In Search of Mahathir and Museveni

- Rabindra Mishra

Eight years ago when democracy was restored many felt a great sense of triumph. Today, many fear, Nepal may be heading towards a tragedy. People are becoming increasingly frustrated with the present political situation. The general view is that politicians have shown utter disrespect to the wishes of the people and politics has become a divisive factor, not a unifying force. It has created cracks among ethnic communities and divided even the administration on political lines. Those who have links with politicians benefit and for others democracy has not delivered. Assessing the current political situation of the country, a prominent Kathmandu-based journalist recently said there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Nowadays, many share a similar sense of pessimism. Does it mean that democracy as a political system has proved unsuitable for Nepal? Or is it just the lack of good leadership? Probably many won’t dispute the view that current problems in the country have much to do with the lack of dynamic leadership than with the system itself.

History is witness to the fact that the ills of a nation have never been cured by political systems but by able leaders. Though communism is despised by most of the world at present, it is under that system China’s economy is booming making the West fearful of its overall prowess. It is not the system which is credited with the success, it is the leadership, especially that of late Deng Xio Ping. It was Mr Deng who enunciated his famous line in response to his critics that it did not matter whether a cat was black or white as long as it killed the rat.

There are some leaders around the world who share the similar view. Because of their extra-ordinary contribution to their countries they are vary popular with the masses. Though, at times, they have gone beyond the universally accepted norms of democracy to achieve their goals, the majority of their countrymen tend to turn a blind eye towards their approach.

One such leader is Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamod, who has been in power for 16 years, making him the longest-ever Prime Minister of the country. It is not by force that he has held the post, but by virtue of his excellence. He has relentlessly worked throughout his premiership to turn Malaysia into an economic giant. He has confronted sensitive issues of race and religion and has made Malaysia’s voice heard worldwide.

In 1991, he unveiled his "Vision 2020" agenda which aims at making Malaysia a fully developed nation by that year. Commentators say if the country’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman is credited with creating Malaysia, Mahathir can claim to have reinvented it. In the process, the country’s constitution has been amended many times under Mahathir’s leadership. He has enacted tougher laws, at times at the expense of institutional and individual liberty. Some call him autocratic, some a benign dictator, but many accept it as a price to pay for what the country has achieved under his leadership. In the general election held in 1995, after being in power for 14 years, he won 64% of the popular vote proving himself the most popular premier the country ever had.

Another such leader is Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. A former guerrilla leader, who toppled the bloody and repressive regime of Milton Obote after a five-year bush war, became the president of the country in 1986. Now, after over a decade in power, he is not only hugely popular in Uganda but also widely respected in whole of Africa. His dynamic leadership has given the country devastated by dictatorship of Idi Amin and Obote a new life.

In the past decade, Uganda has seen peace, stability and an average economic growth rate of six percent a year. Foreign investment has also increased. He says he does not want aid from the west, simply investment, trade and tourism. However, he does not refuse soft loans for infrastructure.

Unlike most other leaders of the world, Museveni rejects pomp and glory of his official status and chooses to live a modest life at his own cattle ranch in a village three hours from the capital, Kampala. There he is surrounded by "bright, young advisors" whom he values a lot. He calls his style of governance a "non-party democracy" and strongly believes that multi-party system is divisive in a tribal society like that of Uganda. His critics call him authoritarian. But who cares? He is now a favourite son of the International Monetary Fund and the favourite leader of the country. He won 74 percent of the vote in last year’s direct presidential election, which was declared by observers as generally free and fair.

Considering the present situation of the country, many may wish Nepal too had leaders like Mahathir and Museveni - honest, visionary, hard-working but also tough. Leaders like Mahathir, Museveni or even former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, all of whom have been regarded as benign dictators by many, are no harm to the nation as long as they are honest and accountable to the people. History shows that dynamic leaders have always had some dictatorial tendencies.

Ours is not a nation ravaged by war or famine, nor is it a nation blemished by ethnic and communal violence. Nothing is wrong with the country and nothing is wrong with the people. If anything is wrong it is our leadership. To build our future we simply need good leaders.

Cancer : Risk factors to avoid

- Nita Pokharel

Cancer is an abnormal multiplication of cells. It is a much dreaded disease, the specific causes of which still evade us to this day. But there are certain cancer risk factors which can be avoided.

Smoking: It is the biggest cancer risk and is the main cause of lung and urinary bladder cancers.

Paan and Tobacco: Habits of chewing paan and tobacco have been found to be directly related with the cancers of head, neck, cheek, gum etc. Sixty percent of cancers in the Indian sub-continent occur in the area of head and neck.

Fried and non-vegetarian foods: Intake of such food have been found to be the cause of stomach and intestine cancer. People in Japan where low fat dishes like tofu are popular rarely get prostate cancer. Also, prostate tumour grow more slowly in mice which feed with low fat food than in those who take lots of fatty foods.

Roughly 35 percent of cancer may be attributed to food habits. According to Cancer Journal France, high fat diets increase carcinogen induced tumours of the breast, respiratory tract and large intestine. Molloy Chatterjee, one of the eminent scientist in India, is of the opinion that a diet rich in green vegetables and fresh foods can provide some protection against cancer. The possible effect of green vegetables and fresh food on cancer has been related to the specific nutrients contained in them, particularly vitamin A & C. These foods also protect human beings and animals against cancer of oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach and intestines. Betacarotene helps to prevent different forms of cancer. According to Mindel earl, pumpkin, raspberries, strawberry , sweet mushrooms, red kidney beans, spinach, sweet potato, bean, curd (tofu) , tomato, green leaves of turnip, water melon, wheat bran, wheat grass, wheat pasta and carrot are rich source of carotene, vitamin and other nutrients that help to protect and cure cancer.

Pesticides and fertilisers: The chemical fertilisers and pesticides like HCH, Aldicarb, Methyl, parathion, phosphamidone, have been identified as cancer causing agents and hence should not be used in house and farming. Chemical pesticides residues have been found in samples of food and drinks including milk ( infant formula), cereals and vegetables which are highly poisonous and affect the immune system of human body indirectly increasing the risk of cancer. The use of these chemicals have been banned in countries like USA, Brazil, Cuba and the European Community..

Warning signs of cancer

• Thickening of lump in any part of the body.
• Nagging cough or persistent harshness.
• A sore that does not heal, particularly in the mouth.
• Change in bowel and urinary habits.
• Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing .
• Unusual bleeding or discharge, specially in women after menopause.
• Obvious change in the size and colour of a mole or wart.

How to detect cancer ?

• Regular pap smear tests are done for ladies in an easy and painless test which can detect cancer at a very early stage. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in Indian sub-continent region.

• Mammography test also is intended for ladies to detect cancer of breast at an early stage.

• Different tests are done to detect prostate cancer in men over 50.

Two tests are commonly used to determine risk:

1. Blood test for a compound called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA).
2. Digital rectal probe for doubtful lumps.

Each year prostate cancer kills 41,800 men in America. Ultra sound screening is done when one feels pain or develops lumps some where in the body. This is done by moving the instrument over body parts. Screening programme is done so that the cancer might be detected early enabling the surgeons to intervene before they spread, thus preventing lots of premature deaths. William Catalonia, Chief Urologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis concludes that an estimated 63 percent drop in American prostate cancer mortality figure between 1991 & 1995, the first reduction in 30 years is due to PSA tests he is of the opinion that the tests have reduced the proportion of prostate tumour , that are not detected until it is too late of treat them from, 70 percent to 30 percent.

Needle aspiration is a method in which liquid part is taken out from the tumour by using a fine needle. Fluid is tested for histopathology. His test is not very reliable.Excision biopsy also is one of the detection methods in which whole or part of lump is taken out under general anaesthesia. The test then is done in laboratory. This is a reliable test.

Cancer can be treated in modern medicine by surgical operation, chemotherapy and radiation usually in combination if treated in early stage and by fasting and hydrotherapy followed by food therapy in Naturopathy. Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer by drugs. In prevents the spread of cancer to other organs. It can be given orally, but intravenous injection is the most common method. The course of CChem-therapy is given cycles. Usually, one patient gets six cycle of drugs. There are gaps of a few days in one cycle and three weeks in between cycles.

Usually two or three drugs are given in combination. Ntivomity (Emset) and antiallergenic drugs (Dexamethasone) are also combined to prevent as well as reduce some of the side effects. Drugs kill normal as well as diseased cells. However, normal cells are formed afterwards . The side effects of these drugs vary depending upon the type and dose of the drugs. The side effect include nausea, vomiting indigestion, diarrhoea, weakness, hotness in head, hand, foot and whole body, itching in the genital and urinary region, burning in stool and urine, loss of body hai usually of head, beards and moustaches, black spots in nails, puffiness on fact and irregularities in menses. Some patients experience less side effects and some more. These side effect of drugs in bone marrow, heart, liver, kidney and other organs. Blood count should be done before each dose of chemotherapy. If the white blood count is below 4000, the treatment should be postponed until the white blood count becomes 4000.

Of course, there are drugs like Neuposian that increase blood counts but it costs NER 7000 to 8000 and a patient may need to take more than one dose. Blood transfusion also raises blood count. But these are costly, need intravenous route, can cause inflammation of veins infection etc. A diet rich in green vegetables and fresh fruit usually the juice of mint, wheat grab or spinach raise the blood count.

The possible effect on cancer by green vegetables and fresh fruits has been related to the specific nutrients contained in them, particularly vitamin A & C, beta carotene, vitamin E and selenium, These foods also prevent human beings and animals against cancer of oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach and intestines. In contrary to naturopath, a doctor of modern medicine may advise a patients under chemotherapy not to eat raw food, salad or fruits. But the natural food is of low cost, full of vitamins, enzymes and minerals. It gives energy and satisfaction to individuals under therapy. It also helps in treating and preventing other illness.

Antiestrogen factors like Indole found in cruciferous vegetable like cabbage, broccoli etc., food rich in beta carotene and vitamin C like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables. Soya etc. are found to prevent and control cancers. It is the treatment by invisible X-rays, electrons or Gamma rays on the effected part. It is very much like having and ordinary X-ray picture. The patient is positioned carefully on a couch and the machine is pirated just one or two minutes. It is done usually daily or 25-30 days. It is painless, relieves pain and pressure symptoms. Radiation can easily destroy a tumour in its early stages of development. This makes surgery unnecessary. Radio therapy can be combined with surgery when a tumour is too large to be operated. It helps in shrinking the tumour or makes surgery easier. It can also be combined with chemotherapy. For cancers of the head, neck, breast and extremities, uterus, cervix internal radiation can be given. For internal plastic tubes are inserted under anaesthesia and loaded with radioactive Iridium 192 wires. The patients is isolated for 1-4 days depending on the individual treatment. The radiation treatment may reduce appetite, can cause dry mouth, sore throat, sore mouth or changes in taste and smell sensation. The patient may not eat and weight may be reduced. Patient should make a conscious effort to eat with frequent small meals at regular intervals. Plenty of liquids with at least 3-4 litres day of water, milk, milkshakes , butter bilk, barley water, vegetable soup, rice water, pulses water, custards, puddings etc.

Skin should be washed with lukewarm water only. It should not be rubbed, massaged or scratched. Treatment marks should not be washed. Lotions, oils, creams, perfumes, cosmetics, deodorants should be avoided. Tight fitting cloth and direct exposure to sunlight should be avoided. Thus cancer can be cured if detected and treated early. Fasting by drinking only water for a few weeks also with hydrotherapy also helps to remove tumour of cancer. Staying a few days on vegetable and fruit juice diet, after fasting for a few weeks cleans the blood and removes cancer cells. Carcinocinum/Hydrastis like remedy are being used even in the western world for cancer patients who have no hope for survival in modern medicine. There are instances that some are living normally for years after taking these remedies and changing their lifestyle.

Refugees: Story to History

- Rajesh Giri

(Continued from last issue......)

Furthermore, the Drig Lam Namsha Code of Cultural Correctness was passed which authorised Lhotshampas to adopt Drukpa culture. They were forced to wear Drukpa customs (a dress alike monks) and women were force to cut their hair short. In many occasion, even the King himself spoke Nepalese but he ordered to ban speaking and teaching of Nepalese language at school or even in a public place. These demands were particularly difficult for the Hindu community of Lhotshampas because it contradicts their cultural practices. The king of Bhutan also introduced a ‘green belt policy’ turning farms (of these Lhotshampas) in to forest-land. Resentfully, the Lhotshampas opposed these laws and organised demonstrations calling for their repeal. Just for this reason, all of a sudden, the majority of the Lhotshampas were classified as illegal immigrants.

The Lhotshampas saw these laws as violations of their human rights and reacted by openly defying the code. Consequently, after a century of mutual peace and harmony between the Drukpas and the Lhotshampas came to an end. People’s resentment and anger finally exploded and the demonstrations began with the popular demand for political reform, human rights and democracy to replace the current absolute monarchy. The government cracked down the demonstrations by using the army and the police forces. The crackdown involved arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, extra-judicial killings, rape, plunder, confiscation of lands, properties and citizenship documents, demolition of houses and forced evictions. Accordingly, the first refugees (individuals and whole families) fled to Assam State in India. The local Indian authorities refused to provide any assistance but rather forced them to disappear. Frightened and desperate, Lhotshampas were driven towards Nepal which became reluctant host to a rapidly growing refugee population. Currently one sixth of the total population of Bhutan have been stripped of their citizenship, exiled and rendered stateless only for demanding their political and human rights. Over 90% of these are housed in the eight camps in eastern Nepal and the rest are fending for themselves without assistance outside of the camps both in Nepal and in India. Most political leaders representing Lhotshampas are being jailed in Bhutan.More than 100 political prisoners including scores of monks have been jailed without any trial.

To be continued .......

B.P And His Philosophy

- Narayan Manandhar

BP’s Jail Journal provides one an unique opportunity to travel around philosophical fields. In a number of instances he had delved on concepts like life and death, good and evil, human values, ethics, morality and contradictions in life. He had also sought to explain on the concepts like sex, love, experience, action, passion, duty and reverence. Probably, emanating from his pathetic condition at jail, he in some places, had even criticised Geeta and Hindu philosophy. In other places he had projected himself as an atheist. A taste of philosophy extracted straight from the pages of 'Jail Journal' are:

- Baseless logic is like a blind man’s stick, sometimes it gets to the point but many times it fails.
- Violence is an easy road to revolution, but we must not seek this road simply because it easy.
- Instinct needs are to be satisfied, not suppressed.
- Knowledge that could be transcribed into language is ambiguous and impracticable.
- Hard life is not painful, it is the one without hope.
- The overall poverty is the basic cause for the non development of human potentials.
- Preserved personality is not strong. It is like a flower grown inside a hot house.
- What revenge can you take with a loser ?
- It is only in freedom that one acquires the virtues of character. This applies also to a nation, a nation without liberty cannot be a nation with a character.

On oriental and occidental philosophy
BP had distinguished oriental (Indian) philosophy from occidental (Greek) on the ground that the former is more intuitional and deductive in arriving at a set of conclusions. On the other hand, western culture is based on analytical and inductive reasoning. Unlike western philosophy, the Indian philosophy did not originate from the plank of inquisitiveness and ignorance. It is rooted into the ethical grounds. Therefore, emancipation and enlightenment are the primary goals of Hindu philosophy, while western philosophy is value neutral, therefore, more scientific. As Indian philosophy moves from the ethical planks, it is non-neutral in character hence non scientific. There are preconceived commitments. They call for an authoritarian attitude.

On spiritualism and materialism
If too much emphasis on materialism leads to selfishness, hedonism and greed, too much emphasis on spiritualism leads to superstition and mental blindness. BP had prescribed a middle path.

On violence, life and death
BP opines that deaths need not downgrade life. Actually, some deaths enrich life. There won’t be a smell of violence in such deaths, moreover, there is an element of sacrifice. And such sacrifice gives meaning to human life.

- Probably, violence is often compulsory to achieve the ideality and the bigger goals of revolution. However, if violence can be confined within the requisite level, it need not damage the goals of revolution. However, unnecessary violence breeds violence. Violence may be an easy road to revolution, but it does not mean we should follow it. BP also spoke on euthanasia. He had opted for a painless death against painful life. On emancipation and good and evil BP asks what is good and what is evil ? Are they relative to the society ? If the basic objective of emancipation within Hindu philosophy is to get rid of good and evil, how do we define good and evil ?

Suppose, a child is born in an island bereft of a society, how would he differentiate the good from the bad ? If we define anything that helps to the growth of the child as good and the otherwise as bad, the concept is purely materialistic. It does not relate to the spiritualism. On the other hand, if good and evil are found only in society context, then it is self contradictory to have someone born into a society of evil and good and at the same time trying to get away from it. BP speaks that the evil and good need to be defined in context of truthfulness and falsehoods. Anything that helps to the growth of the child is truth and otherwise as false. However, the objective of the spiritualism is not just to get rid of good and evil but also the mundane truth like hunger, sex, security, anger, thirst and physical pleasure. Obviously, these organistic truths need to be controlled within a limit. Had the spiritualism confined their search to the extent of controlling these truths, there could never be a difference of opinion between materialism and spiritualism.

On decisions and outcomes
Any action need to be judged, not , from the perspective of its victory (or loss), but from the perspectives of the objective achieved. The performance is judged by the history. But the pursuits of an action needs to be based on objective criteria. Decisions are basically proactive in nature while performance are retrospective. The difference is ex-post vs. ex-ante.

On human potentiality and realisation
BP has also delved on the nature vs. Nurture debate. For him hereditary provides only a potential, however, its true realisation could be made only through the actualisation, the experiences of one’s senses.

On duty and passion
Teachings of Geeta tell us that one should performs his duty irrespective to rewards. Actions could be undertaken either through passion or through conscience. Even duty could be performed through passion although actions performed with passions are less efficient than the one with conscience. BP had recommend that actions need to be judged in terms of good and bad consequences.

On extremism and democracy
Extremism seeks uniformity in life, it is either defeated or it seeks to defeat, it does not take advice, rather provides orders or accepts orders. It does not includes compromise, it seeks things in black and white, with us or against us. Democracy, on the other hand, is opposite to this. A democrat believes in the diversity of truth. There different dimensions of truth. An individual is the follower of that truth and the democrat believes that truth could reside even at the opposition side. Democrat is basically liberal, he believes in dialogue, discussion, negotiation, compromise and agreements.

On conflict between experience and social norms
According to BP, man is constantly faced with a tension between his experience and the societal norms. His experience may say some thing totally different from norms. The experience could also be his individual or that of the society. Although self-experience is supreme, it may not be compatible with that of others.

On god
Basically, the existence of god could be defined in terms of four criteria. First, it could be a source of morality and ethics. If one defines in these terms, varied standards of morality and ethics will come to the existence in different period at different societies. Second, it could also be a provider of justice. In the absence of a justice criterion, it will never be done. Third, it could be the source of power. Often the power has been used blindly. Fourth, it could be a source of ideality. In that case there is no existence of god, at least, for the present !

On human solidarity
Human unity and solidarity can be experienced only at the time of extreme poverty or extreme affluence. The middle path leads to selfishness and greed. Some one crossing a shallow river can not experience the depth of an ocean.

Birthday Poems

- Hind Vaidya

Today is your Birthday
Reminds me of that joy
When you cried after
Daddy patted your back
Holding your legs.

Daddy was nervous
When you did not cry
Immediately after you were born.
There were lots of people
Waiting outside,
My father came too.

You were beautiful
With silky & shiny hair
And sparkling eyes.
When I hold you,
No word to express

That wonderful feeling
Of special love that belongs to me
Bhubi and Bhuma came
And gently touched your hand.

They were curious and happy
You were the baby of the family
Now you are a responsible person
You gave us lots of joy
That money can not buy.

Happy Birthday! Dear son
Have a nice day! Bhushan

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bhuma

Today is your birthday
It’s a miracle day !
For you my dear and for me, too
The day reminds me………

The moment I heard you cry
I forgot all the pain
When I held you in my arm
It was a wonderful feeling
So true, so beautiful and innocent
A special gift of love, I found
You were my flesh and blood
And you were all mine.

Every day I saw you growing
So thoughtful, so careful and cheerful
You are my best friend,
And you can read my mind
My heart touches yours
Every time I hold you
You are the girl of my dreams.

My joy has no bounds when you smile
To day my little girl is twenty-five
Celebrate the special day and be happy
Birthday wishes to you, my dear baby.

Rule of the God

- Presha Joshi
class VI, Kathmandu

Above the sky
there is a heaven
below the world
there is a hell,
there is a man
who looks very good
there is another man
who looks very pale;
the good one goes to heaven
the pale goes to hell.

If you do good things
you go to heaven,
if you do bad things
you go to hell.

This is the rule of God
does it look odd ?
If it looks odd
do not blame the God.