For this festival, the preparations have been taking place in the Kathmandu Valley. It is traditional that people will kill a goat over Dasain. And so thousands of goats have been transported into the valley to meet this demand, and ensure meat price doesn't go up too much and cripple the poorer people - many of whom this will be the only time in the year they will eat meat as it is so expensive. Families come together as much as possible to celebrate, the buses to the villages outside the valley are getting gradually busier as people return to their homes. The kite flying is getting more prevalent, Dasain is the time to be flying a kite, and at the moment the wind is being friendly ensuring a good stiff breeze in the afternoon and evening to please all. Traditionally, parents will give their children clothes. For those families who have money, this is all fine. However, if you struggle from day to day, this can be a real heartache.
As for me and my work, it is still going on slowly. I keep on seeming to get contradictory advice from people, and so am trying both fronts and seeing what will work. It is slow, laborious and, as yet, fruitless. But I'm positive. Something will happen.
My friends from EWB, an engineering NGO, have now left the country after completing their projects. It has been quite fun being around English people again, and it has reminded me how much I hate the Kathmandu's tourist ghetto of Thamel. It's been also good to hear their ideas and thoughts on Nepal.
The new Nepali government released its first budget just over a week ago. It announced a large increase in spending, and stated it intended to increase its foreign aid revenue by 91%. To my mind this was stupid. This country already relies too much on foreign aid. All very well that Nepal needs to 'develop' - whatever that may be - but an over-reliance on foreign aid cannot surely be healthy for the country. With the global financial crisis, will countries be willing to release aid to another country so easily? And will it be the same as it always has in Nepal, corruption and bribery bringing people to the foreign aid like moths around a light-bulb? Not only this, but Nepal also depends on Nepalis working in foreign countries to support their economy - according to a local newspaper in one district almost £150,000 has been sent from abroad for Dasain in the last 2 weeks. This is all very good, but it won't help Nepal. Nepal needs industry, product for export and internal consumption. Nepal needs local business. Nepal needs people to stay here and work for their own country, not send their best to work as brick layers and security guards for a pittance in the Gulf.
The budget has also produced some controversy, as the government said it would not pay for the animal sacrifices any longer. This immediately impacted the festival of Indra Jatra, a Newar festival here in the Kathmandu Valley. The Newar people felt this to be a slight against their culture and immediately called a strike. I foolishly went walking through some of the areas there were riots, as I thought they had finished. Obviously not. The shops were all shut, tyres were burning in the street, riot police were lining up ready to beat the agitators with 6 ft long bamboo poles. The atmosphere was not particularly pleasant, but I managed to get away before anything kicked off. In this case, I have to admit I take the side of the government. They have declared Nepal a secular society, no longer a Hindu Kingdom, and so will not support any festival financially. It was just unfortunate that the first festival happened to be a Newar one. They are also not paying for the hundreds of goats and buffalo that the government usually sacrifices over Dasain.
We have also been seeing restaurant and bar workers striking, as the government closes in on illegal owners. Which is good. But on the other hand, why are they spending their time with dedicating a large amount of police man power to close a small number of illegal bars, when the Terai is still in the control of various militia groups and completely unstable. Surely that should be where they focus their resources. Could this be the return of Kathmandu Valley centred politics? Surely the Maoist leadership should have learnt enough from previous failed governments to not follow that path?
Nepal still provides an interesting background to life...
SAM
A couple of photos...
