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I know. We all had our uh-oh moment when it transpired that the cholera outbreak in Haiti possibly has a Nepal connection. The UN is investigating if the sewage overflowing from the septic tanks of the Nepali contingent of MINUSTAH into a nearby river has cholera. And if it turns out the bacilli in question are indeed the Vibrio cholera 01 Ogawa biotype El Tor then we are literally up shit creek. Besides war crimes, selling M-16s to Hizbollah, and corruption in APC procurement, cholera is one more black mark for Nepali Blue Helmet peacekeepers. However, it is a little hard to understand all the media hoo-hah about Haiti. Cholera is our national disease, we have outbreaks in Nepal all the time and no one in the international media ever gave a hoot
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 NEIL DIXIT |
The other matter that made headlines this week was the Transparency International report card that was interpreted differently by different papers, with some saying 'Nepal Most Corrupt Country in the World' and another that said 'Nepal Most Corrupt in South Asia'. Let's make up our minds, folks. But one paper put the best spin on our utter corruptibility as a nation by using the banner headline: 'Nepal Still Strong in Corruption'. In fact, the country seems to be going from strength to strength as far as malfeasance is concerned, if you take another report in the papers this week that revealed that villagers are having to be bribed Rs 1 to use a newly built public toilet as a special promo. When there is so much palm greasing going on, and people are being ripped off left and right, at least one lodge in Ghandruk has decided to set itself apart by highlighting its integrity.
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Narayan Man, the president of Bhaktapur, hit the nail on the head when he simplified Chairman Awe-struck's visit to China in simple layman's language. "He went there just to irritate India," quoth Bijukchhe. That said, it looks like the Chinese let it be known that they are rather miffed that their country's good name has been dragged into the mud with the Maharagate Tape. Beijing wants Nepal to be stable and predictable, not volatile and jumpy, which is more and more the way PKD is behaving as he finds the prime ministership slipping further away from his grasp. No senior Chinese leader met Chairman Awful, which was a message in itself, and the main instructions from the party's foreign relations dept was: "Sort it out with India and don't keep bothering us, we're busy." And that's not all, the Chinese also instructed the Maoist delegation to go back to Nepal and tell everyone that was the message they got. Dutifully carried out by PKD at his arrival press con, as well as Fire-breathing Sapkota in his interview with John.
Com Fearsome tried to put a brave face on it and said that he proposed to the Chinese a tripartite strategic alliance between India-Nepal-China. But he failed to convincingly explain what this proposed Trans-Himalayan Axis is meant to do.
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Meanwhile, back home businesses are facing post-Dasain extortion as local baddies raise money for the Extended Assembly in Palungtar next month. In Gorkha, every family is required to donate one mattress, or else. Tourist buses are being fleeced from Sarangkot to Charikot (Medal of Honour for the American tourists who reported the extortion to police in Dolakha; the ten grand was returned to them).
Anyone worried about the Maoist obstruction to the budget can rest easy. The budget will get a green light as soon as PKD's own allowance and the CA members' salaries and cantonment transfers dry up.
ass(at)nepalitimes.com
