Something cooking in the kitchen cabinet- Nepali Times

There are two ways to look at the prime minister's decision not to fly business on his trip to New York next week. One is to see this as proof that he is anti-business. Or, we can say that by flying economy he has shown that he is serious about the economy.

This is a heads-I-lose-tails-you-win situation, either way the PM is going to be accused of endangering his own health by exposing himself to deep vein thrombosis risk, or splurging the national exchequer. Frankly, we don't want a photo op with the head of the Nepali delegation in the General Assembly dozing off at the desk, so please do us all a favour, prime minister, and get yourself a free upgrade. What would be much more meaningful, though, (and the Ass has just sent this email to ([email protected]) would be for the PM to refuse to use the VIP departure lounge at TIA and stand in line for one hour at immigration and x-ray with the rest of the hoi polloi and face what Nepal's proles have to face every day. But all this may be academic because BRB now thinks flying 40 hours roundtrip with long layovers in cattle class is just too much trouble, and we hear that he is trying to call off the trip.

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And that may be just as well with all the knife-sharpening that is going on. Com Red Flag faces challenges on multiple fronts. The Baidya faction is now publicly accusing BRB of being a medium rare Indian stooge. The NC is up in arms about the 4-point pact and the promise to induct 10,000 Madhesis into the army. The UML's right wing Oli faction is flirting with the Maoists' left wing Baidya faction to undermine Baburam. And then there is Awesome the Enigmatic, who just can't stand his vice-chairman's superior intellect and is back to wearing his Hawaiian shirt which he always does when he is plotting some big breakthrough.

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People are past caring, but the donkey would like to remind everyone that the next deadline for CA extension is 30 November. With the PM gone next week and then the country closing down for Dasain Tihar for a month after that you can bet your bottom that this is going to another one of those hair-raising photo finishes.

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The party leadership seems to know something that we don't: that this time there won't be no extension of the CA and that they'll have to go for new elections. Which must be why the Madhesi front was so desperate to get plum posts in the BRB coalition so that they could make hay when the sun came out and replenish their depleted war chests. And, knowing how important muscle power is at election time, all parties are getting their militant youth wings ready for some serious booth capturing and arm twisting.

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Another sure proof that the Baddies are girding up their loins for elections is that even a former Raja Baddie-turned-Mao Baddie Gopal "Shoe-thrower" Kirati is setting up an organization of Maoist Kshetris. Which has prompted Lekha Raj Bhatta, the Lion of the West, to revive his non-Tharu front for a territorial province in the trans-Karnali of which he is already the self-declared warlord. What has prompted all this, according to notoriously reliable sources, is that the Baddies realized rather belatedly that their ethnic identity politics was having an anti-Maoist backlash among the Bahun-Kshetris who make up nearly a third of the electorate.

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All is not well in the governing coalition, the cabinet is still incomplete and some Madhesi ministers are openly defiant of the prime minister. Like Comrade JP refusing to be party spokesman, and telling BRB publicly that it would be better if he got one of his yes-men to do the job. But if the frequency and length of meeting between the Gang of Three, BRB, Sitola and Right Honourable Amreso Singh is anything to go by, something is cooking in the kitchen cabinet.

1. nishachar
Spot on with the airport's VIP lounge and immigration queues. Let's get into real issues, Mr. PM.

Posted on: 16 SEPT 2011 | 3:48 PM NST

2. Bhayankar
Best line...

And then there is Awesome the Enigmatic, who just can't stand his vice-chairman's superior intellect and is back to wearing his Hawaiian shirt which he always does when he is plotting some big breakthrough.

LOL

I think Comrade Awesome has been quite supportive so far. These days it is a fad to criticize him.

Posted on: 16 SEPT 2011 | 10:00 PM NST

3. Gole
Why Puspa Kamal Dahal is worried is that since there is a growing opinion amongst the Bahun -Chhetri community group that any party that makes discrimination and classifies them as Others/ANYA may forget their vote in the next election. They have asked to be classified as Indigenous/Adibasi like in India where every citizen are Indigenous as per the stand of the Government of India.
Even the Convention on Indigenous and Tribal People's Rights has and not hyphen or slash in between.
How is it that they have put Indigenous and Tribals into one category?
Self Identification is stated as fundamental right in the absence of a clear definition and wht can,t Bahun -Chhetri denied that right. Can other community activist classify them in a conspiratorial way?

Posted on: 17 SEPT 2011 | 6:24 AM NST

4. DG
Crocodile Tears of Lekh Raj Bhatta and Gopal Kirati.
Bahun -Chhetri Khas group have not asked for an ethnic state.
They are for secular inclusive multi-ethnic state representing all nationalities residing in them as per proportionate representation and named accordingly. Marginalized and poor dis advantaged class should get benefit of affirmative action like reservation.
They are against Agradhikar. Right of participating in election is part of Right of Nondiscriminationby the United Nation's convention also.
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Article 5(c) states that:"to guaranteethe right of everyone,without distinction as to race,colour,or national or ethnicorigin,to equality before the law ,notably in the enjoyment of the following rights:

"

(c) Political rights,in particular the right to [ participate in elections-to vote and to stand for election-on the basis of universal and equal suffrage to take part in the Government as well as in the conduct of public affairs at any level and to have equal access to public service:"
So are their objection and rejection of the so called Agradhikar to selected communities for next two term as irrational.,undemocratic ,discriminatory and so unacceptable.

Posted on: 17 SEPT 2011 | 6:56 AM NST

5. Daniel Gajaral
Ethnic state for Bahun-Chhetri.
B-C group have never asked for state on the basis of race. They are for secular inclusive state with equalityof treatment and rights for all.,special consideration to the marginalized.
Their demands are tyhe following :
! Adibasi /Indigenous status,not as ANYA for them (All citizen of Nepal are Indigenous,as in India., If you look at their history.,all are migrants at one space and time.)They have not asked for Tribal? Janjati status for them. ILO169 has and not /or - between Indigenous and Tribal and gives the right of self-identification for all communities.
2. No Ethnic States on the basis of race,but multi-ethnic ..

3. Name of states cultural or geographic so that all feel the sense of belongingthere. as their own.Not in the name of selected few eyhnic groups.
4.No Agradhikar or Special Right specially Political.Rights.for any community.This is undemocratic ,so unacceptable.
5 Affirmative action yes.They are not opposed to social or economic justice to the deprived . as reservation for some time.
But creamy layers are to be separated in every community as per their economic status and defined first.

Posted on: 17 SEPT 2011 | 7:20 AM NST

6. Dil Bahadur Thapa
Parties that wants to turn us as second class citizen as Anya may forget our vote in the election in future. We will support those who support us as Adibasi.

Posted on: 17 SEPT 2011 | 8:09 AM NST

7. NEPALI

THE PHOTO IS SHOKING,

ONE SHOULD MIND HIS POSITION WHILE SEATING WITH HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE. INDIAN OBEY HIS MASTER BRITISH ONLY. RUBISH ENVOY?

Posted on: 17 SEPT 2011 | 5:59 PM NST

8. Prasant
The percentage composition of Nepal 's ethnic and caste group population is :
Ethnic......34%.........( but includes about 3% Newar caste group also)
Caste.......60% ..( Pahadi ..41% &Madhesi 19%)
Rest.........6%.
The definition of indigenous and tribal should be separately defined in the proper way and not just engineered to exclude some communities by biased activists .Indigenous must be defined as south of our border,India.

Posted on: 18 SEPT 2011 | 6:36 AM NST

9. who cares
7.nepali

if you look closely, you can tell that the indian is not comfortable the way he is sitting and still does it.

i think it is coz of the code- he is trying to remind bhatterai who is puppet and who is puppet master.

this bhatterai does not know what he has done.

PS- why NT did not publish my a few comments? did some body complain? NT should be aware that there are gangs who use their influence to silence honestly speaking nepalese.

Posted on: 18 SEPT 2011 | 10:03 AM NST

10. Nepali

Thanks who care # 9

we will appreciate your IQ. how BRB become board first ,if he doesnot respect his position. How he allow him to Seat like Jamindar Of Nepal.very poor image of this Indian Envoy. not acceptable by international comunity!

Posted on: 18 SEPT 2011 | 2:48 PM NST

11. who cares
10, nepali

regarding board first position, most of those nepal educated must agree that if the copies of top 100 are rechecked by other teachers, the position of present toppers wont be able to maintain their position. 100th may climb to 1st and 1st may fall down to 100th.

and its well known that nepalese and also indian education system have lots of flaws.

Posted on: 18 SEPT 2011 | 4:51 PM NST

12. Harry
Khas Neta for Prachanda in Cover of Himal Khbar Patrika.--a few alternate

Khas Khas dalne Neta.
Khaas Khuse Neta.
.

Khasi Neta.or

Khasi Khane Neta or

Khas Banaune Neta or

Khasi Parne Neta. ??/?

Posted on: 19 SEPT 2011 | 9:41 AM NST