MONARCHIES

In the Guest Column '2007 to 2007' (#356) the text made reference to the
top and bottom 20 countries ranked by the 2006 HDI scores, but the accompanying table was shortened to 15 countries due to space limits. Since that selective shorter list may have confused readers, below is the full list of the top 20 HDI ranked countries. Nine of these 20 are independent monarchies (M); and three more are Commonwealth Realm constitutional monarchies (CR). The other eight are republics.

Top 20 HDI Ranked countries in order:
Norway (M), Iceland, Australia (CR), Ireland, Sweden (M), Canada (CR), Japan (M), United States, Switzerland, Netherlands (M), Finland, Luxembourg (M), Belgium (M), Austria, Denmark (M), France, Italy, United Kingdom (M), Spain (M), New Zealand (CR). Another European monarchy, Lichtenstein would also feature in the Top 20 list, but UNDP does not compute HDI scores for Lichtenstein and Monaco.

In addition to these nine monarchies in the top 20 list (and Lichtenstein and Monaco), there are only 18 other commonly recognised independent monarchies. That list, with their HDI rank in 2006 in brackets, is: Brunei (33) Qatar (40) UAE (41) Bahrain (43) Kuwait (44) Tonga (54) Malaysia (61) Oman (71) Thailand (73) Samoa (74) Saudi Arabia (77) Jordan (90) Morocco (124) Cambodia (133) Bhutan (134) Nepal (136) Swaziland (146) Lesotho (149).

Putting the two lists together, the facts clearly are that monarchies are over-represented in the top 20 (and also absent from the bottom 20 list). Conclusion: there clearly are no economic developments gains to the general public from abolishing an existing monarchy. So is it only private gains to specific political players that is making monarchy or republic the unnecessary focal point of the CA agenda ?

Prem J Thapa,
Australia

. Prem J Thapa is comparing apples with kiwis when he tries to stretch the UNDP's HDI rankings to prove that monarchies still have a utility. The reason most European countries have high development indicies has nothing to do with the fact that they are monarchies. Similarly, former sub-Saharan monarchies are not impoverished because they aren't monarchies anymore. And just because a country is nominally a 'republic' doesn't mean countries with ruling dynasties like Haiti, ex-Zaire, Cote d'Ivoire or for that matter even Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or India do not behave like monarchies. In fact, there is no guarantee that once Nepal becomes a republic we will still have a hereditary presidential system. And we will still be poor.

J Pathak,
Kathmandu

REFUGEES

Your editorial 'Chance of a lifetime' (#356) is a surprising turnaround of the stand your prestigious media house has long taken on the Bhutani refugee issue. How can you say that third-country resettlement is a chance for refugees to rebuild their lives? It is ruthless to assume poor people are ready to be the servants of rich white people. Nationality is above money. Had you ever been a refugee, you would know this. The Nepalis of Nepal may be tired of their nationality, but Bhutani Nepalis are hungry for our nationality and identity, not money. Don't tell us what to do. If you feel that going west is the start of a new life, you go ahead.

Nepalis, the original inhabitants of the Himalaya, are being removed from their land through Indian-designed moves, and we ourselves are encouraging it. Not just the Nepali government, but renowned journalists have surrendered to a mini-tyrant like Jigme Singye. Shame.

Kalpit Mabuhang,
Biratnagar

. The people living in the refugee camps in Nepal claiming to be Bhutanis should take the chance offered by Western countries. We know that thousands of people from Nepal have already emigrated to western countries in the name of Bhutan. People in the camps should decide for a better future rather than listening to a few self-interested people who don't care for their suffering. I say take the chance for a better future. Opportunity only strikes once. There are more than 50 million ethnic Nepalis in Nepal and around-no scarcity of Nepalis in the Himalayan regions.

Gangtergi,
email

GO ELECTRIC

While it is great news that the government is taking huge steps in hydropower development ('White gold', #356), it would also be great if the government opened its eyes on the very important issue of the import of electric vehicles. Like the Japanese government, the Nepali government has to relax its taxing system, or even make EVs tax-free (as in the case of Safa tempos). It will be seven years before the first of the hydro projects will be completed. The government has to look at the future demand for electricity once EVs can be imported easily. In the long term, the money it loses by relaxing taxation can be made up by the increased demand for electricity. A major benefit will be a cleaner environment.

E Avani,
email

. The government should increase the price of petroleum to lower use, and decrease the price of electricity and electric goods. One big advantage is that we wouldn't have to beg other countries for power. The next plus is that electricity is pollution-free. The list goes on. Yet the government is doing just opposite-it subsidises petrol and makes electricity expensive. It taxes electric cars higher than regular ones. It banned electric bikes and doesn't assist Safa tempo and trolley buses.

Saurav Sharma,
email

UNREPENTANT

CK Lal sounds like another angry madhesi ('The unrepentant state', State of the State, #356). I considered him an analyst above region, caste, and similar prejudices, and his angry outbursts do no good to his credibility as a political analyst.

That said, I fully agree that the Maoists are to be blamed for the confrontationist attitudes in the tarai. It is also true that the political parties never seriously discussed this issue in the past and do not seem to have started now either. One reason is that in the past anybody talking sensibly about the tarai and madhesis was branded a RAW agent. Unfortunately, that political trap of the panchayat era was never shaken off. This tendency is widespread among the political cadre as well as civil society. Unless it is shaken off, there can be no meaningful discussion of the problems, leave alone solutions.

KK,
USA

RUDE

By declining the invitation to the king's birthday party, Nepal's diplomatic corps have clearly made a political statement and shown their bias. Such partisan behaviour is undiplomatic and deplorable.

SK Aryal,
email

. I was surprised by the results of your last poll on rudeness among the diplomats. I think the only real option was 'Who cares'. Really, who cares. The country is in such a depressing state, we should focus on getting it back on track.

N Ghale,
email

. The Bhaktapur Kumari has been stripped of her 'title' after she visited the US to promote a documentary because she is now considered impure. To those who say that the Kumari tradition should be upheld and that she should have stayed home to avoid scrutiny, I ask-she's 'god', and god is everywhere. It's her right to go out of the country. As for her being tainted, what does that even mean? With the king's throne at stake, it would be interesting to see whether the Kumari gets the same respect.

Some claim that the Kumari is given appropriate education and care. That's good news. But she should be given some type of counselling after her 'reign' ends. It is a whole new world out there and she has to move back to her house, socialise with other children, go to school, live in the 'real' world. I don't doubt that the Kumari is treated with utmost respect and care. But to isolate her in her room doesn't seem emotionally conducive to producing a sound god to me. Then again, who says god is sound?

The story of how the tradition started sounds like sexual repression. The king had lustful thoughts and so chose the Kumari to represent the goddess he lusted after. Makes sense like every other Nepali tradition objectifying women.

Yuko Maskay,
email

FILM REVIEW

Diwas Kc is a film critic par excellence ('World within worlds', Critical cinema, # 356). Where did you find him!!!

Sashin Joshi,
Kathmandu

. Diwas Kc is an excellent addition to your generally witty paper. He expands amusingly on the cattiness in your 'Happenings' captions. Your 'History for winners' caption (Happenings, #356) was great-lots of information that I didn't know. Glad you balanced it out with the rude reference to wind instruments, though, or it might have come off as know-it-all.

Thomas R,
email

CLARIFICATION

Re 'Taxing business' (Strictly Business, Ashutosh Tiwari, #356): The government aims to collect Rs 85.38 billion in the current fiscal year. Experts say that the amount could be increased by an additional Rs 25 billion to about Rs 110 billion by introducing general reform measures.

The most recent three-member Tax Settlement Commission added about Rs 3 billion to the government's coffers by assessing the tax obligations of about 2,000 out of tens of thousands of taxpayers in nine months.