Women: To Be Or Not To Be

FRAILTY, thy name is women. It is a famous line from Shakespeare’s tragic drama ‘Hamlet’. Are women weak as said by Shakespeare? It is certainly a controversial matter. If there were feminist writers like Simon de Beavoir, Kate Millett, Julia Kristeva, Shakespeare would have to wrangle with them for calling them frail.
Modern women do not like to be called feeble. They think they are as strong as their male counterparts.
Since the ancient time, many philosophers and scholars have been writing on women. They have described women from different angles. But modern feminists decry them for adopting a patriarchal view. They say human history, language, culture and literature are biased against women. Because it is men who wrote history and made language. They lashed at Aristotle because he defines women as an incomplete creature. Feminists rebuff Freud because he claims that female sexuality is shaped by ‘penis-envy.’
Until the late 19th century, men regarded their sperm as the active seeds, which give form to the waiting ovum. Man said the ovum lacks identity till it receives the male’s impress.
Feminists latter established anti-thesis and described the ovum as daring, independent and individualistic rather than pathetic. They described the sperm as conforming and sleeplike rather than enthusiastic.
From a male perspective, it is hard to answer the question: what is woman? For man, she appears an enigma. Are they weak or strong? Powerful or powerless? Many identify women with the qualities of tenderness, lovability, cowardice, honesty and sympathy. At the same time, women are found strong, cruel and dishonest.
Going by the lives of heroic women such as Arch of John and Laxmibai there are no reasons to call women weak and timid.
At the same time, their aesthetic and erotic power has been a cause in the fall and rise of many nations and civilisations. Many rulers have bowed down before their beauty. Many poets and authors have surrendered their pens to their aesthetic qualities. Historians say that the great Chinese emperor Changez Khan became a slave before his queen. Ancient Greeks and Troys fought just for Helen. Draupati was one of the causes for Mahabharat Yuddha.
Throughout the human history, women’s sexual appeal has left societies extolling and fighting over it. They have exploited men with this appealing power. This has taken them at the pinnacles of success. And at the same time, this has brought their tragedy.
In the era of electronic and IT boom, their beauty has received more limelight. With the advent of rugged individualism and consumerism, their beauty has become a medium for businessmen to boost their business via advertisement. Now without women, there are no effective ads. Many women see this as an opportunity to uplift their career.
With the coming of the modern and post-modern era, women especially of the western parts want to prove that they are cocksure, not hensure. But as English novelist D.H. Lawrence says this cocksure attitude has brought more despair and less happiness in their life. Many cocksure women have been separated form their husbands. Their children have suffered as a result. The family has been broken. So, what do our fairer lots want—to be cocksure and uncomfortable or to be hensure and comfortable?

Mushroom benefits farmers

Mushroom farmers are a happier lot these days after mushroom seeds started becoming available in the local market following the production of the same by nine different labs in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Nepalgunj.

Earlier, farmers used to depend on imported seeds. Currently, Commercial Insect Development Directorate, Plant Disease Division, Agricultural Technology Training Centre at Jorpati, Mushroom Technology Centre at Godabari, Mushroom Seed Production Centre in Balambu, Nepalgunj and Pokhara, Regional Plant Protection Lab at Pokhara and Agrobusiness Centre for Research and Development, Kalimati, have been producing mushroom seeds.

The Commercial Insect Development Directorate said the labs are producing 156,500 bottles of seed from wheat annually. Commercial mushroom farming began in Nepal some 30 years ago and its farming is concentrated in urban and peri-urban areas.

Government provides 50 percent subsidy in mushroom farming. Durga Baral of Chapagaun said availability of locally-produced seeds has further motivated her into the profession.

The interim development plan of the government targets producing 1500 tons of mushroom annually.

MISSING STEPS

When 25 billion rupees are locked up finding no useful outlet, it is but natural that the responsible lot including ministers and leaders are crying for fund so that the development initiative could move. Nepal needs development activities for reasons that are clear to all, but the way the things are moving it indicates that the wait has to continue, till when no one knows. There may be some who might say that the panacea for all the ills will be the new constitution. But, the pace of the statute drafting part hardly seems to be making any progress. Time is moving but even the outline has not been deciphered. The plain reasons are the parties of all colours, ruling or in the opposition, have their own agenda and if anything is not in tune they make it a point to make the streets their battleground, and even the parliament nowadays.
There are no winners, but the biggest losers are the general people who are not fed the perks that could keep their life afloat. It's development activities that is the nutrient to keep the economy on the move, thereby, giving the people the jobs they need in earning a livelihood. For the moment, nothing seems to be moving except the issues that enthrall the politics minded folks

THE UNTOUCHED BEAUTIES

Nepal can be best picturised by the rustic villages and untouched natural beauty along with its improving situation after the historic achievement of becoming a federal republic. Tourists from abroad can directly be in a village environment right after disembarking from their flight.
Village tourism is a great opportunity to shake hands with the Nepalese way of living and to be acquainted with the typical culture and traditions. Everything has the local flavour be it food , music, scenery, or anything else. The urban chaos is left behind in this serene friendly atmosphere. It is a heavenly experience to be in the lap of panoramic nature and to live the life of a villager despite being a tourist. This experience can be a perfect getaway even for Nepalese town dwellers searching for a different taste during the weekend.
Sirubari, Ghandruk and recently a village in Mugu have been the trendsetters. Even when tourism was in the red some years back, these villages got on quite well with the situation. They have shown how we can tap our own resources sans any foreign influence. It is a lesson for all the tourism sector.
It provides the best opportunity for village people to share their customs and rituals along with a handsome source of income. People get to interact with foreign culture and share theirs. Tourism can be the helping hands to alleviate rural poverty and upgrade marginalised and downtrodden groups.
But a rough road lies ahead to reach the destination for making Nepal one of the best tourism destination of the world. Local participation is most important for making village tourism a dream come true. So locals must be encouraged to make necessary provisions like home stay and cultural performances. When people develop the feeling that they are making their village an example for village tourism, nothing will remain beyond reach.
Now, Nepal Tourism Year 2011 is coming up. It will be very difficult to attract a million tourists in 2011 unless new schemes and tourism friendly policies become the reality. Visitors who spend a few days in our villages will say "Once is not enough" when they have to say something about the wonderful experience.

POORLESS EDUCATION OF NEPAL

Since 1951, the country established an education system with free primary education to all children. In 2000, while the education was not compulsory throughout Nepal, the country was committed to providing free universal education from grades 1-10. Under the Ninth Five-Year Plan, compulsory primary education was implemented in five districts of Chitwan, Ilam, Surkhet, Syangja, and Kanchanpur with the policy of extending free compulsory primary education all over the country gradually.

Despite these strong commitments, in 2000, various estimates of literacy in Nepal placed the rates between 23 and 41 percent of the adult population with a large gap between male and female rates. The Central Bureau of Statistics has been collecting literacy statistics since the first census in 1952-1954. For the censuses in 1952-1954, 1961, and 1971, literacy was defined as the ability to read and write in any language. For the census in 1981, the definition was expanded as the ability to read and write in any language with understanding. For the census in 1991, the definition was further expanded to add performance of simple arithmetic calculations. However, no functional testing was done in collecting the data that is estimated to be inflated by 10 to 25 percent. In 1996, the literacy rates in the eastern development region were 54.20 percent for males and 29.57 percent for females; in the central region, 50.19 percent for males and 20.75 percent for females; in the western region, 58.24 percent for males and 32.82 percent for females; in the mid-west region, 46.94 percent for males and 17.60 percent for females; and in the far west region, 48.98 percent for males and 14.85 percent for females. These statistics point at the dismal situation of female literacy rates in Nepal, which are among the lowest in the world. The literacy rates also vary according to ethnic grouping. The economically advantaged high caste ethnic groups like Marwari, Kayastha, Brahmin, Thakali, and Newari have literacy rates between 60 and 95 percent. While lower castes such as Dhobhi, Dusadh, and Chamar have rates below 25 percent.

Primary education (grades one to five) typically begins at the age of 6 years and lasts until the age of 10 years. The second official level of education is the lower secondary level, which comprises grades 6-8 (three years). The secondary level is comprised of grades 9 and 10 (two years). The School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations are held nationally at the end of grade 10. Since 1992, the higher secondary level of grades 11 and 12 has also been initiated primarily through private schools. The academic year typically starts in Srawan (July-August) when the government's financial year starts. The Nepali calendar year is based on Bikrami Samwat (BS), which is different from the English calendar. For example the year 2001 A.D. was 2057 BS until March 2001 and then changed to 2058 BS in mid March. There is some pressure to start the school year in Baisakh (April-May) to allow the tenth grade students to have one complete year before their SLC examinations. Education in grades 1-10 is free in Nepal and available to all. In 1996, the school system in Nepal had an overall enrollment of over 4 million students of which 77 percent were primary students, 17 percent were lower secondary students, and 6 percent were secondary students. The language of instruction in public schools is in Nepali, which is the mother tongue of slightly over one-half of the population.

Nepal has a dualistic system of schools with both public and private schools. Education in private schools is expensive and typically affordable only by the elite. Most private schools have English as the language of instruction, and many also utilize computers in the curricula. In 1995, there were 3,077 private primary schools, 2,417 private lower secondary schools, 1,370 private secondary schools, 332 private higher secondary schools, and 132 private tertiary schools. At the lower secondary and secondary levels the numbers were proportional to the public schools.

President's motorcade causes heavy traffic jams

The capital witnessed one of the worst traffic snarls in recent memory due to the motorcade of President Ram Baran Yadav who went to teh Legislature-Parliament at New Baneshwar to present the government´s annual policy and programs.

The diversions and blocking resulted in traffic snarls at Koteshwar, Sinamangal, Tilganga, Gaushala, Chabahil, Sorhakhutte, Lainchaur, Ratnapark, Maitighar and New Baneshwar. The president´s motorcade also threw the traffic out of gear at Balkhu, Teku, Putalisadak and Kamaladi as well.

The president left for New Baneshwar at 3.15 p.m. to read the government´s policy and programs at 4 p.m. Security personnel had emptied the road for the president´s motorcade an hour before his departure from his office. After the president reached Baneshwar, security personnel briefly allowed traffic movement. It took him an hour to present the government´s program and policies. Security personnel had started emptying the roads before he finished the speech.

The already chaotic traffic was hit again when the president returned to his office. Traffic limped back to normalcy at some places only after 6.30 p.m.

What compounded to the problem was a ceremonial ride of the president. He traveled on a horse carriage from Singha Durbar to New Baneshwar and back to Singha Durbar.

An ambulance carrying a patient to a hospital at Thapathali remained stuck at Tripureshwar for over an hour due to the blocking of traffic for the president´s motorcade.

So far, neither the president´s office nor the Prime Minister´s Office and the Home Ministry have responded to the public outcry over heavy traffic jams whenever the dignitaries travel to attend official engagements.

SIMMERING FEAR

The shocking murder of two teenagers that took place on Tuesday is an indication of the high levels of fear and paranoia prevalent across the country, even in the capital city Kathmandu, which is the most secure of all places in Nepal. The facts of the incident are clear: a group of boys had gone to fight with another group with whom they had antagonistic relations. They were, however, outnumbered and forced to runaway. While running away, a group of locals for some reason thought that these high-school students were kidnappers and joined in the chase. When they were finally caught up with, the mob that had accumulated beat up the boys so ferociously that two of them died and two others were so seriously injured that they still haven't regained consciousness.
It would be almost unfathomable how a very large group of people could, within a very short timespan, come to believe that a number of teenagers were kidnappers and use such extreme violence against them, if such incidents had not become very much a common occurrence in recent months. First, news reports began to trickle in from the Tarai about locals in various areas murdering in cold blood — through setting on fire, for example — innocent people. The victims were for the large part mentally handicapped; the locals murdered them because they thought they had or planned to kidnap children. In the past three months 16 people have been killed for this reason in the districts of Mahottari, Dhanusha, Sunsari and Morang. Fear and security was already prevalent in Kathmandu — there had continued to be cases of children being kidnapped for ransom — but the paranoia was exacerbated by the gruesome murder of Khyati Shrestha. By now, insecurity and rage have reached such proportions that in the past month alone, two people have been killed and nine injured by mobs that thought these people were kidnappers.
The prevalent vigilantism is, in addition to being a reflection of the insecurity that the general population lives under, also an indication of the people's loss of faith in the state security agencies. The police has for some time been demoralised due to the political instability and the tendency of political leaders to provide criminals with protection. Criminal groups began to take advantage of the demoralisation of the security forces in the Tarai and this consequently led to high levels of fear among the populace, leading it to take the law into its own hands. This culture has gradually entered the Kathmandu valley. Faced by such spectacles as the police's inaction even when a group of student union members ransacked offices at a college, it was in a sense natural that a sense of cynicism would arise among the public. But this cynicism, coupled with increased fear, has led to contempt for the law itself, and a belief that it is best for mobs to solve problems by themselves. This is a highly worrisome development and the Home Ministry and all security agencies have to develop plans to regain the trust of the people and restore law and order. The costs to society, otherwise, will be huge.