Country on Gambling and Prostitution

Nepal: Country on Gambling and Prostitution

Ram Manohar Sah

“A female slave is called keti and costs about thirty Mohurs but, if young and handsome, she will bring ten Mohurs additional. A few have been degraded and sold by the raja on account of crimes alleged against them but by far the greatest part has been sold by necessitous parents. All the ketis, even those belonging to the queen, are prostitutes. The poor creatures are therefore forced to sacrifice their chastity, in order to procure clothings.”

This paragraph was written by Francis Buchanan Hamilton on his visit to Kathmandu Valley two century back in his travelogue “An account of the Kingdom of Nepal”(pg 219-220). When Hamilton Visited Valley two century back, it was time just after King Prithivi Narayan Shah’s victory. Since Hamilton’s observation in 1802-03 AD, time and situation has seen sea changes, but the above paragraph remains truth even today in day light, except the fact that active slavery word and practice is banned since 1925 AD (Chandra Shumshere) and keti is respected Nepalese vocabulary word and king/queen reach is limited to their secretary.

With the passage of time, we can claim to have made progress on technology and political scale. But we remain almost on the same level on sociological development today as Hamilton described. Visit Thamel and you will find some or other girl selling her chastity in the pretext of massage center or beauty parlor. Visit some dance restaurant in the night life of valley, and you will get some vulnerable beauty sole unbuckling her jeans in need of few bucks.

The story is not exception to the valley. In the name of Dance bar restaurant or massage center or beauty parlor, each and every corner of country is today being developed as prostitution center. The bar restaurant itself add the necessary ingredient to make the whole atmosphere exotic.

With the evasive and corrupt administration, restaurant owner easily manage legal license to operate dance bar restaurant with girls as the staff. Beauty sole get trapped in these hells; some by ignorance, some by the helplessness, and some for the materialistic aspiration.

These restaurants are hardly regulated, and can be seen opened round the clock on every public places and residential places. People engaged in these activities hardly care of public comments and social values. On the other hand, the increasing dominance of this culture is demolishing the remaining social values in the society. The prevalence of corrupt bureaucracy hardly melts in front of the warmth of few conscious and suffering civilized groups.

The existence of eight casinos in Nepal tells a very small story about the attitude problem of the ruling & administrative class. The owners, mostly high class people, continuously promote gambling as business. The bureaucrats get its greedy fulfilled easily through the gambling operating centers. Government justifies as the source of tax income. But in all this process, common poor man is the looser.

The story of these licenced Gambling businesses is tip of ice-berg in whole show. Each day and each corner of country, there are numerous gambling centers operated. In festival sessions business magnifies. All this happens in the day light with the awareness and sharing of profit with local administration. Local people get struck with the reach of high profile people involved in it, even if common people want it to discourage. This gambling is scattered everywhere be it rented and dedicated room, personal house, road side shops, safe corner on street, common restaurant, or high profile dance bar restaurant.

Where we are? Are we moving forward or moving backward in the development of civilization? Should we all allow it to happen in the name of safeguarding the individual freedom, or have we became blind in the light of individualistic world. Should we allow it to happen in the helpless of individualistic limit, or is our individualistic desire showing helplessness in front of society, or is it failure of collective society? Are we unable gauge the infinite inhuman grief of those girls expressed in front each customer, or are we unable to read the game behind the Gambling?

We feel easy in blaming that around 10,000 girls are sold in Indian red light market each year, and around 1 lack Nepalese girls are today in Indian red light areas. But we ignore to realize that, each minute and in every corner of country, we are creating and promoting indigenous red light areas. Today, we are feeling happy to send girls abroad in the lure of rials, but ignore to mention that in most of the cases they are neither different from any other red light areas. The big question remain unanswered, is the poverty only reason to justify this inhuman practice or are we unable to build strong determination?

Gambling is fading the income coming out of Yarsagumba, gambling is fading the salary of gulf countries, gambling is making people sell ancestral property, gambling is spoiling the yearly saving of employed and yearly sell of business man, gambling is making children stave of food and fun, gambling is killing the spirit of festival. The only people get rich and happy in this process is gambling center owners, gambling promoting corrupt administration, and gambling safeguarding government rulers.

Some people are engaged in Gambling & Prostitution through their habits, some get involved with the curiosity, some get motivated by the friends circle, and some has innate motives and attitude to promote it. Except the last point, all the other ways can be controlled to certain limits if individual people desires. The last point shows the collective failure of bureaucratic and civil society. Some people have perception that they can gain substantial amount persuing these activities, by either proactively practicing himself/herself or proactively promoting these businesses through their shops. This happens because of the feeling and experience that money can buy every thing, including bureaucracy, people and parties.

We need to ask to our self and to the so called civilized society and to the office bearers in power corridors. Do we desire to be on the opposite side of the show consciously? Do the money gained/accumulated from these activity is going to do good for the society? Do the prestige of country increase in the connected world? Is this the things we want to carry forward to our next generation? Will the future generation praise us from these practices? Is the other recreational activity in the digital age not sufficient to suffice the jeal of destitute soles?

If the answer for the above questions is no, then we need to ban Gambling and Prostitution from our heart, from society, from country. Gambling and Prostitution is not adding any value tangibly or intangibly to the economy, to the society, to the development of human being, to the improvement of quality of life. Rather, it left behind the grief, guilt, grievances to suffer and to society.

Amend the Troubles Soon!

Nepal: Amend the Troubles Soon!

Amit Pyakurel

We are already been hounded by bunch of high-sounding political deformities, seemingly giving inadequate chance for scrutiny and refitting to the disorders of the ordinary daily lives.  Aside the political impasse, the seemingly inconsequential, yet everyday troubles of the commoners, however have their own negative upshots.  It includes the disconcerting street-traveling due to the almost spaceless footpaths to walk-on (caused by the indiscriminately growing roadside vendors), brazenly uncontrolled vehicular movements (moreover their stoppages in the middle of the busy roads making accidents more probable), the rising cost of daily commodities, high priced yet hardly attainable gasoline products, troublesome traveling in local transports, and, more distressingly, the frequency of criminal activities like kidnapping, looting, intimidation, and killing that remain to grip the common livelihoods in despair.

Just make a walk along the way towards

from Sundhara or get into the dense market place of Asan. It’s no wonder that the haphazard swarm of pedestrians, additionally, the immense number of roadside vendors covering almost all the footpaths (sometimes even the streets) would make you feel like you’ve entered a battleground, needing you to struggle your each step through the disoriented crowd, saving yourself from one after another knocks and bounces.  Inside Asan, more irritating is when the incoherent private vehicles pump their horns from behind while it’s already been a struggle even to put your feet comfortably on the road.

Overwhelming number of vehicles ensuing frequent and relentless jams, often causing the traffic police unable to cope with, has become not only the routine, irritating obligation to the daily passengers, but also the causes for more distressing outcomes in the cases of emergencies.  Traffic-jam nuisance is roaring day by day, but the concerned authority and the common people seem helpless to fight it back.  Just as troubling is that many busy roads don’t even have footpaths by their sides.  More effective traffic rules (only in the case if they are made to be strictly followed by pedestrians and drivers) plus well management of the footpaths and roadside vendors could significantly ease such trouble.  But who is to listen when the people in the power are already too busy to sort out the big political troubles?  Isn’t it worthwhile, moreover in a civilized sense, for the concerned authority to overhaul such avoidable nuisances before long?

Parties have flamboyantly recited the big goal of getting our country a “new” look.   While the ‘old time’ we’re living-in just seems to be thrown into disarray and difficulties, out of indifference, where the ordinary lots are at the receiving end, if not the social, political, or financial elites.  Let alone the war criminals of the 10-year-old insurgency, let alone the brutal suppressors of the April movement, but even the nasty criminals those who have perpetrated some unforgivable crimes after the establishment of the “loktantric” (people centric) government of the seven parties are hardly punished for some unsounded yet unfortunate reasons.

Perseverance of law and order by the concerned authority as well as the ordinary citizens is important if to sustain a peaceful and comfortable life order.  However, there’s also a felt inadequacy of law to some heinous crimes against humanity, like intentional murders of innocents, that’s painfully resonating in the ordinary mindsets.  The pain increases when the loved-ones of the victims often realize that criminals manage to escape the police in the first place, or getaway from even the already available legal punishments though after being caught.

Some recent instances of barbaric crimes out of disregard to human lives does deserve a cross-questioning as whether our existing law has been able to ‘rightly’ punish the most brutal perpetrators of our times.  What happened to the culprits of the Madi bus mishap?  Similarly, what sort of punishment (if any)  has been inflicted to the executors of the gaur carnage, the Kapilvastu bloodshed, the bomb blasts in Kathmandu, or the kidnappers and murderers of Bibek Luintel and likes, and so on?   Have we heard any reassuring truths about these evil doers been actually punished, other than few of them being arrested, seemingly more for a public show off?  Isn’t it the responsibility of the law ensuring bodies to provide concrete answers to these questions to the people, moreover, the aggrieved ones?

Another awful aspect is the resounding pain of the family members of the number of disappeared ones during the insurgency (and some after that). Neither the government nor the Maoists have shown enough humane sensitivity to unearth the whereabouts of the disappeared by them and punish the culprits behind such incidents.  Forceful disappearance is a grave crime against humanity, but none of the concerned groups are showing genuine accountability on this regard.

It may not sound decent to some to ‘linger on the trivial cases’ like everyday quandary of the pedestrians or murders of ‘few’ innocents, in the middle of a larger political quagmire.  But the road towards this big goal needs to be mended on time, if to reach the ultimate destination safely, without the people been inflicted by intolerable amount of physical and psychological grievances.  Prolongation of this infectious stage should not be too long causing the people to lose their endurance upon their daily sufferings, though for some seemingly trivial grounds.   Surmounting grieves out of murders and irrevocable injuries of loved-ones could gradually disturb the public patience.  And even the ordinary looking discomforts would add-up and upset the hope and patience that people have managed to uphold till now.

Major parties have been unable to track smoothly forward, given the recent political impasse and indefinite postponement of the CA polls.  Indefinite prolongation of the deadlock has already rendered a big setback to the people’s desire and enthusiasm propagated in the historic April movement.  And fear resides that the collective vigor of the people would become too weak to uphold the parties’ sway in the government, opening chances for another dictatorial and regressive authority to replace the power structure, unless the Loktantric parties soon come up with a concrete and sustainable way-out based on a mutual understanding.

Need for envisioning a new role for women in a new Nepal

Finn Thilsted, Ambassador of Denmark, Nepal

It is an honour and pleasure to be with you here today for this discussion on “Women and Media in Peace Building”.

I accepted the invitation to participate because the topic of this seminar is of great importance. Peace and equality between women and men are important issues for Nepal and are strong priorities for Danish development assistance to Nepal. The peace process is all about inclusiveness and therefore also about equality between women and men.

That the Nepalese media has a strong role to play in the Peace Building process is obvious for all.

Let me start with the issue of equality.

Women in Nepal are disadvantaged as compared to men. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report, Nepal is one of the countries in the world with the largest difference between women and men. The social exclusion of women is present both in the laws of the country and in the traditional practices. The examples are numerous: citizenship, health, work, child marriages, chaupadi and inheritance.

It is promising to see that some changes are taking place. I have the impression that the overall awareness concerning equality between women and men is growing and some initiatives have been taken. A number of bills with good intentions have been passed since the Peace Accord, for example, the Interim Constitution, the 3 year Interim Plan and the Gender Equity Bill. All have good intentions to make changes, but implementation is lacking and the stalemate in the peace process worsens the situation.

Nepal has been torn by conflict for the last 10 years, a conflict that has had severe consequences for the people of this country, not least its women. Wives have become widows, girls have become orphans and women have been victims of violence and rape. The sufferings of women have been great, as I saw recently in the documentary movie, “Sari soldiers”.

Last week, I inaugurated a Safe House for Women in Janakpur and it struck me that I have never heard of a Safe House for Men! I talked with two women that had been gang raped in a village. Justice will most likely never be given to these women and the criminals will never be punished. In Janakpur, the issue of dowry for women is a constant problem and women seek shelter from angry and dissatisfied husbands and in-laws. It is my impression that when men cannot manage, they often take to violence. A wife and her husband must, in my view, be equal, and equality and peace at home are the prerequisites for the creation of a harmonious family and thereby a harmonious society.

It has struck me that in conflicts around the world, it is rarely women who take the initiative to start the fighting or are involved in the fight. I believe this is because women by nature are peaceful, tolerant and loving. I strongly believe that the peace process in Nepal must include women and must build on the ability of women to solve disagreements through peaceful means. Participation of women is a crucial point in building a peaceful and inclusive society.

Many Nepalese women have made great contributions to the Nepalese society. Their efforts are through women’s movements, local community engagement and non-governmental organizations dealing with health, agriculture, forestry, HIV/AIDS, trafficking and many other areas. The people of Nepal, as well as the government, must acknowledge these, often voluntary, efforts and contributions to the development of Nepal. It is therefore difficult to understand why female participation in government, political and other public bodies are lacking.

There is a need for envisioning a new role for women in a new Nepal.

I would like to end my talk by pointing out the important role of the Nepalese media in the peace process and creating a new Nepal. A democratic society needs a free and critical press that gives voice to women and men on an equal basis. Modern media gives the possibility of mass communication. In a modern democracy, the media uses this form of communication to present the wishes of the people to the politicians and to document the actions of the politicians to the people. Media thus plays a significant role in the creation of public opinion. With this important role, follows responsibility – a responsibility of giving information which is inclusive and balanced.  The media must be active in supporting the inclusion of women in a new Nepal. The media must catch the momentum for change in the Nepalese society and take the lead in breaking down deep-rooted stereotype roles for women and men. In this process the media must be very conscious about letting female voices be heard.

Women and Media for Peace

Nepal: Women and Media for Peace

Dev Raj Dahal, Head, FES

The need for democracy has been well said by Reinhold Niebuhr in his statement: “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s capacity for injustice makes democracy necessary.”  Democracy building is a delicate task in a country where poor predominate and leaders apply conflicting ways to approach it. Obviously, wider engagement of diverse citizens in various phases of political transition—restoration of democracy values, formulation of democratic initiatives, promulgation of constitution, democracy consolidation and expansion of democracy in public and private life of citizens—offers them an opportunity to learn about democratic practice. In each phase, the role of media lies in educating the public, orienting them toward the means and goals of democratic system and reshaping their behavior. Democratic politics encourages political actors to cooperate and resolve their differences peacefully.

Peace is a condition that frees human beings from fear and provides them a basis for civilized coexistence under the same political sovereignty. In Nepal, peace, however, is contending with other ideals, such as emancipation, social justice, basic needs, resource, power and identity. Constructive handling of these claims demands a legitimate social contract that defines the ends and means of democratic politics, charts a collective vision of all citizens and creates a legitimate order out of chaos. The duties of media rest on reporting about common ground for cooperation at various levels of society and enabling the political leaders not to lose sight of contextual change. Crafting an inclusive framework of peace over power struggle is the primary political obligations of Nepalese leaders.

Political dynamics

The ongoing high political dynamics has exposed the citizens toward the state of nature and opened a number of loopholes of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The CPA has sought “conflict management” through social, cultural, economic and political transformation in Nepal, promised to accommodate class, ethnic, regional and gender interests by restructuring the state, adjust the armed forces and consolidate democracy based on popular sovereignty. While reviewing its implementation the government’s task force suggested setting up the institutional pillars of peace articulated in the CPA. This is essential to monitor peace indicators. But if each component of the SPA is bent on bargaining for more power how can they together inspire the confidence of the excluded, movement-oriented and non-state armed actors in the unfolding consensus conducive for electoral legitimacy of regime and resolving the deadlock of various sorts? There is a pause.  

The new conflict dynamics opened at societal level requires multi-track approaches including enhanced role of those excluded members of society including women in peace building. It also entails undistorted communication about hostility-fuelling sources— faith, reason, greed and needs deficits, removal of misconception and beginning of trust-building policies and institutions. Media can mediate the contrasting viewpoints and fuse them into a rational road map of peace acceptable to all sides. This is important to pull the drivers, actors and stakeholders into a common process of learning about the cost of conflict and benefits of peace.

Conflict sensitive media rooted in public political culture can alone enable the decision-makers to understand the increasing complexity of the conflict, suggest the optimal choices to solve it and support the pursuit of peace, a peace that is tied with democratic order based on mutually agreed rules for the socialization of all actors in their dealings with each other. It is in this order they can defend themselves and pursue their goals non-violently. But, there is a need to resolve the condition of unstable power equation which has left an open space for each actor to bargain for absolute gain regardless of its rationality and righteousness.

Women and Peace

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security” provides multi-track engagements of women in sustainable peace building. It supports local women’s struggle and indigenous processes based on equitable distribution of social, economic and political power between men and women. Now, the peace building approach includes the potential and left-out actors of society like women, Dalits, indigenous people and ethnic groups. Women’s equal participation in conflict prevention, management and transformation can help reconstruct a shattered society and address conflict residues. Their experience in coping with the conflict is particularly useful because their experiences differ to that of men because of inherent gendered power relations, dissimilar need for transitional justice and a growing recognition to redefinition of gender role in society and life. This is expected to help resolve the conflict between the principle of women’s equal role and the general conduct of political life in Nepal. 

Media’s role lies in reforming the irrationality of actors’ position and interests and their re-socialization toward a civic culture of equality, reconciliation and peace. Non-violent role of women complements media’s pursuit for restoring society’s trust and resolution of the taproots of conflict by means of de-linking violence from politics and transforming links between structural injustice and cycles of violence.  Like peace, democracy tends to eliminate the monopoly of power in an individual, political party or particular institution. Legitimate monopoly of power stays only with the state as an impersonal institution and the only instrument of all Nepalese for national collective action. Restoring core state functions is a precondition to any democratic initiative and the formation of a rational public order.  Media can contribute to de-legitimize the use of violence as a political tool and instill in all actors a habit of compliance to constitutional order.  This strengthens the framework of democracy rooted into the state and abolishes the fear of anarchy. The realm of media is embedded in the general life of people where all members are organized into the same sovereignty. Because of their public character, media ought to free themselves from the frame of parochial politics and articulate the wider vision of the nation.