Surath Giri's Blog

Sep 10, 2011

Government's relief packages: My thoughts--I

September 10, 2011 Surath Giri— min read

The government has introduced a series of relief packages and as you might already have guessed, I am as skeptic as ever. But since his holiness Dr. Bhattarai could do no wrong, I would rather present my curiosity and inquiry than slam criticisms.

Government to instruct local administrations to immediately return seized land and property:

Source: www.ekantipur.com

Well, that's something we all would welcome. I just hope it really happens because the new "revolutionary" land owners seem to be making themselves pretty comfortable and enriched with their new acquisitions. They might be a little reluctant to give up their acquisitions and "immediately" could easily turn into "ages" and just to help Dr. Bhattarai make "informed" decisions, local administrations have been proven weak and ineffective for the job. I think his holiness should employ YCL cadres for the job if he wants to get better results.

By the way, just a small curiosity: How come returning the land to their rightful owners a "relief" package? I used to think land ownership was a right not a "relief" package. But never mind, what's in a name? I really welcome the move!

Government to provide Rs. 200000 each to 50,000 youths under youth employment program:

Last time's youth self employment scheme generated really huge fanfare and tons of accolades for his holiness before fading into oblivion. For a research purpose, along with my friends, I had gone to the finance ministry to inquire about the status of the scheme. The scheme had been confined to a single room in the ministry and was providing generous employment to about half a dozen people. Besides the employment, the scheme had also provided additional perks to its employees as we found a lady vigorously scanning some question papers and a text book when we visited the office. We were pretty surprised to find the lady extremely reluctant to talk about her additional perks though. So, I think his holiness should consider employing more than just a dozen (already relatively well-off) people.

And maybe his holiness should consider letting enterprises like Surya Nepal Garments run. Despite being capitalists and bloodsuckers, 20 such enterprises, if allowed to run, could easily provide jobs to 50,000 youths without spending a dime from the government treasury.

Government to subsidize LP gas (a cylinder a month per family) and kerosene (5 liters for oil lamp users):

Source: www.ekantipur.com

Well, I love this move and I believe so do majority of the Kathmanduites. Getting subsidized LP gas is awesome even though it might mean using poor people's (who have never used LP gas and majority of people in Nepal can't afford LP gas) tax money to help relatively well-off people to consume LP gas. I am really surprised why almost every government relief package has a subsidy on LP gas provision. But as they say, आम खाओ पेड मत गीनो, I shouldn't really keep dwelling on it I guess.

By the way, recently, a businessman who had been tampering with gas cylinders and regulators posing great risks to thousands of LP gas consumers walked free after paying minimal fine. Your holiness, if you could punish (and I mean severe enough punishment here) criminal such as those, consumers could feel more "relief" than a subsidized gas.

....

I will continue my ramblings in another post as well. Do help me figure things out with your comments!

In developing countries, government is usually the problem

September 07, 2011 Surath Giri— min read

I was going through a blog post titled "20 Things I’ve Learned From Traveling Around the World for Three Years" by Gary Arndt in Tim Ferriss's blog. One of the things he has learnt really caught my eye. Below is his lesson no 16:

16) In developing countries, government is usually the problem.

I have been shocked at the level of corruption that exists in most developing countries. Even if it is technically a democracy, most nations are run by and for the benefit of the elites that control the institutions of power. Political killings, bribery, extortion and kickbacks are the norm in many places. There is little difference between the Mafia and the governments in some countries I’ve visited. The corruption in the Philippines was especially surprising. It isn’t just the people at the top who are corrupt. I’ve seen cops shake people down on the street for money, cigarettes or booze.

When intentions and policies contradict

August 28, 2011 Surath Giri— min read

Source: www.ekantipur.com

Two recent happenings which are in sharp contrast to each other raise concern. The first one is the government draft of the Employment Guarantee Act promising to provide a job to all the families living below the poverty line. The act, if implemented, is supposed to provide a job of at least 100 days per year to at least a member of poor families. The act considers guarantee of employment a critical part of socio-economic security and fundamental rights of citizens.

The second is that Surya Nepal's permanent shut down its garment production unit due to constant agitation by trade unions. The decision is likely to render at least 3000 people jobless and a significant loss in government's revenues. The company's decision shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, since the prevailing trend is of industries shutting down, scaling down or relocating out of country. Militant labor unions and inflexible labor laws have been the primary reasons for such trends.

The Irony

On the one hand, the government is purportedly concerned with the high unemployment and underemployment rates of the country and the poverty it engenders. Whereas, on the other hand, the government is shamelessly blind to the plight of Nepalese industries which are being forced to close down resulting in joblessness of thousands of employees and loss of revenues to the government.

Employment Guarantee

In it's noble attempt to gain cheap popularity and with its misguided sense of responsibility, the government has brought yet another scheme that looks great at face value but is bound to fail eventually. If the findings of the latest Nepal Living Standards Survey tells us anything, then it's that people are better able to lift themselves out of poverty than the government trying to plan and do it for them. The steep decline of absolute poverty by 18 percents is accompanied by a steep rise in the number of households receiving remittances from foreign employment. According to the report the number of households receiving remittance income have also risen dramatically to 55.8 percent from 31.9 percent reported in NLSS 2003/04.

While the politicians were bickering over power and positions and bureaucrats busy making money, the poor people were quietly and steadily lifting themselves out of poverty. Fortunately, when people are left alone to fend for themselves and grow and politics isn't involved, they tend to achieve their objectives very efficiently. Poor people of Nepal have not only managed to lift themselves off poverty but they have also been contributing more than 17.4 percent of the GDP through their remittance incomes. In other words, it's not the government that's helping the poor but the poor that are helping the government officials get their salaries.

Source: http://kardiesel.blogspot.com/

It was fortunate that government failed to realize the potential of foreign employment and didn't dabble in the sector. Had it tried to plan and guide foreign employment sector it would have ended up like every other sector guided by the so called numerous five-year plans . We are already on the 12th plan but are yet to see any significant economic growth or development done by these plans. Previous attempts of government to provide employments such as Youth Self Employment Scheme have failed to achieve their obectives despite the huge fanfare they created initially and are currently limited to a room or two at the Finance ministry employing less than a dozen people at mostly administrative jobs. The government should review and scrutinize its previous attempts at providing employments to poor or youth segment of the population before preaching lofty dreams of guaranteeing jobs. The committee which drafted the act is said to be holding discussions with private sector so that jobs could be created in the industrial sector which in itself is truly ironic.

Hypocrisy and insensitivity

The government that was deaf and dumb while many major industries of the country shut down their operations and whisked away their capital and resources abroad to establish more enterprises in friendlier environments is holding discussions with the private sector to provide jobs for the poor. What could this step possibly mean except sheer hypocrisy and insensitivity in the part of the government?

Surya Nepal Garment's permanent closure the government's apathy at the incident highlights how serious the policy makers and government is about finding practicle ways to adressing the abject poverty of Nepal. Surya Nepal had been providing direct employment to around 650 people and indirect employment to more than 1400 people most of whom come from the poor segement of the population and consist mainly of women.

As evident in this case, militant trade unions who claim themselves to the voices and protectors of poor are in fact the very enemies of the poor. It is high time the government got rid of policies that merely sound good and bring in those that are realistic. For starters, bring in realistic and practical policies to provide jobs through protecting job providers and encouraging industries to flourish.

Conclusion

If Nepal is serious about achieving economic growth and prosperity, the government and policymakers should shift the role of government from a feudal patron granting favors to its citizens towards the role of a protector of citizens and productive forces in the country and facilitator of peaceful interactions between the members of the society. Employment Guarantee Act may sound great at face value but the bitter truth is it's another avenue for the politicians to garner short term popularity and loads of wealth for themselves.

-Surath Giri

(Published in The Himalayan Times of 28th August 2011)

Peter Weir's The Way Back (2010) and some lessons in freedom

August 23, 2011 Surath Giri— min read

I just watched The Way Back (2010), a war drama directed by Peter Weir who is very well known for his great movies like Dead Poets Society (1989), The Truman Show (1998) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) all of which are among my favorites. Although The Way Back (2010) pales in comparison to Weir's previous movies, the subject matter of the movie and visually spellbinding cinematography makes it a good movie. However, while watching this epic story of survival ,solidarity and indomitable human will about a group of prisoners who escaped from Soviet Gulags (labor camps) in Siberia to India seeking freedom walking more than 4000 miles , I was more engrossed in the lessons on freedom it delivered than its cinematic elements and its cinematic value.

The story follows Janusz, a Pole condemned by accusations secured by torturing his wife by Soviet officials and sent to a labor camp in Siberia. The labor camp is a melting pot of criminals and dissidents of Stalin and Soviet communism from all over Russia and its occupied territories like Poland, Hungary, Estonia. Even a cynical American named Mr. Smith is in th camp as a prisoner. Janusz with Mr. Smith forms a plan for escape. the duo is later joined by a Russian thug, a comic accountant, a pastry chef who draws, a priest, and a Pole with night blindness making the group seven membered.

The group escapes under the cover of a snowstorm but their escape is just the beginning. The group faces freezing nights in wilderness, deadly starvation due to lack of food and water, storm of mosquitoes, an endless and hostile desert, a desert storm and the Himalayas before finally reaching India and achieving freedom. Not all survive the journey but those who do, walk more than 4000 miles.

Some lessons I drew from the movie are as follows:

Liberty is in fact something that makes all the difference in the world.

In his article 7 principles of sound public policy, Lawrence W. Reed has put this as one of the principles of sound public policy. Watching the struggle of the characters in the movie thorugh the freezing nights and arid desert, one is tempted to ask, "Is freedom worth it? Is liberty worth all these risk and troubles?" But in the scene where the Pole with night blindness respond to the remark that he might die while escaping with "..then I will die a free man" and the last scene when these characters reach India and achieve freedom, the joy in their eyes and the obstacles they overcame says it all, 'yeah, it's worth it'.

The greatest harm totalitarianism does to freedom of mankind or society is the way it destroys even basic sense of morality in the society and alienates people from each other.

Janusz's wife is tortured and forced to make accusations against her own husband condemning her to life long regret and guilt. People cannot speak what they think even at the gulags (labor camps) as one character says at one scene "...Stalin has ears everywhere" and "...whole Russia has become a huge prison". Another brilliant movie called "The Lives of Others (2006) also deals with the way totalitarianism destroys lives and morality of people.

The huge and vicious net of propaganda and lies created by totalitarian systems creates an artificial reality for common people and perpetuates such systems.

The character Valka in the movie truly represents the common folks (in thoughts not in activities) living under totalitarian systems like Communism. They fail to understand the implications totalitarianism has in their lives and tend to adapt to the system. For them the dictator always remains a hero no matter what he does. The scene where Valka assaults the comic character for making fun of Stalin (although Valka himself has been sentenced to labor camp) and asserts that Stalin is a hero who takes away from rich and gives it to the poor reflects how common people generally tend to look at communism and communist dictators. The point can be further emphasized by the fact that even though Mao Zedong is said to have killed more than 30 million people directly and indirectly and yet he is still considered Godlike by the older generation. Although the same can't be said about the new generation. I think it's because of the huge and vicious net of propaganda created by totalitarian systems that people tend to think that way. And I believe it is one of the incentive for communist dictators as no matter how many their wrong doings they will still be celebrated and cherished more by the common folks who survive their misdeeds.

केही लिबर्टेरियन भनाइहरु - ५

August 22, 2011 Surath Giri— min read

Source: Teamster Blog

मानिसलाई दास बनाउनका लागी सबैभन्दा राम्रो र प्रभावकारी उपाय उसलाई निहत्था गर्नु हो । -George Mason
आगो, पानी र सरकार -यी तीन कुरालाई दया के हो भन्ने थाहा हुँदैन । -Albanion Proverb
जब शब्दहरुले आफ्नो अर्थ गुमाउछन तब मानिसहरुले आफ्नो स्वतन्त्रता गुमाउछन । -Confucious
राजनिती भनेको दुबैलाई एक अर्का सँग बचाउछु भनेर धनीसँग पैसा र गरीबसँग भोट लिने कला हो । -Anonymous
मुद्धा जे नै होस्, सरकारद्वारा एउटाै समाधान सबैमाथि लाद्नु भन्दा स्वतन्त्रतालाई सयौ विकल्पहरु प्रस्तुत गर्न दिनु नै असल हुन्छ । -Harry Browne
स्वतन्त्र बजारले अनुत्तरदायित्वलाई सजाय दिन्छ, सरकारले भने अनुत्तरदायित्वलाई पुरश्कार दिइरहेको हुन्छ । -Harry Browne
त्यो समाज जसले समानतालाई स्वतन्त्रताभन्दा माथी राख्छ, अन्तत उसले न स्वतन्त्रता पाउँछ न त समानता नै । -Milton Friedman
आफुले गरेको निर्णयको मुल्य नचुकाउनु पर्ने व्यक्ती हरुलाई निर्णय गर्न दिने जस्तो मुर्ख र खतरनाक निर्णय गर्ने तरिका अरु कुनै छैन । -Thomas Sowell
राजनितिज्ञहरुले बम हान्ने व्यक्ती जस्तै आफ्नो शिकारलाई बिरलै मात्र देख्छन । - Donald Boudreaux
सबैभन्दा जटिल प्रश्न "सबैभन्दा उत्तम के हो ?" भन्ने हैन बरु "सबैभन्दा उत्तम के हो भनेर कसले निर्णय गर्छ ?" भन्ने चै हो । -Thomas Sowell
राज्यवाद लुटेर मौलाउछ भने एउटा स्वतन्त्र देश उत्पादन गरेर मौलाउछ । -Ayn Rand
कल्याणकारी राज्य संसारको सबै भन्द ठुलो ठगी खेल हो जसमा पहिले तपाईं खुसुक्क मानिस हरुको पैसा लिनुहुन्छ र त्यसको केहि हिस्सा पछी तडक्-भडक सँग फिर्ता दिनुहुन्छ । -Thomas Sowell

Top 7 myths about Linux and why you should start using Linux!

August 21, 2011 Surath Giri— min read

As of today, I have been using Ubuntu (exclusively) for 21 days and looks like I'll keep using it for a long time. Although I had been thinking of using or rather say learning to use Linux for more than two years, it took me seeing through my eyes a person actually using it effortlessly that finally convinced me to start using Linux. I was not sure if I could survive by using Linux alone (I had heard the rumors that Linux was too difficult for ordinary people to use and lacked the myriads of useful applications as in Windows). So, I dual booted (installed two operating systems) my laptop with Windows 7 and Ubuntu 11.04 aka Natty Narwhal.

Alas, it didn't work!

Ubuntu 11.04 failed to boot at all! My fears of losing my data resurfaced and I wanted to run back to the covers of Windows 7. Later, I came to know a misconfiguration (easily fixable by laymen) had caused the problem. But then, the geeky pride in me prevented me from giving up and compelled me to give it another try. So this time I installed Ubuntu 10.04 aka Lucid Lynx.

I haven't had to boot Windows (except to transfer my remaining files) ever since.

Today I present here the top ten myths about Linux that I have come across and the facts that I have learned while using Ubuntu:

Myth 1: Linux is not as easy and user friendly as Windows. Linux is too difficult for ordinary people to use. It requires writing codes and knowledge of programming to get things done.

Not at all. Not only is it as easy to use and as user friendly as Windows,it's even more so because of the quick updates and creative features developed by thousands of programmers around the world. No knowledge of programming is required at all and some versions of Linux like Ubuntu, Edubuntu are being used to teach computers to young students for the first time.

Myth 2: It's hard to install. There are high chances of my data being lost and I'll have to migrate all my data from Windows through a tedious process.

I installed it within 30 minutes almost by clicking next, next and next only. Not only the installation process asked me time and again what I wanted to do with my data but it also showed me graphically what my hard drives would look like if I chose a certain option (cool, aint it?). But the coolest thing is, I can access all my files, folders and date stored in my Windows partition and work on them easily through Ubuntu.

Myth 3: There are not enough applications for Linux. I won't be able to use with Microsoft Office documents and presentations.

Alternative to MS-Office: Libre Office

Not enough applications? Well, as far as my experiences goes for the last three weeks, I have been overwhelmed with so many cool applications to choose from to perform almost any job a computer can perform. There are just too many alternatives for any program you must have been using in Windows! And best of all, in Linux you just don't have to worry if the software is trial version, demo version or shareware. I have already installed 100 plus applications and every one of them was free and almost every one of them was open source. In fact, some of the very popular applications used by general users are open source and run flawlessly in Linux such as Firefox, VLC media player, Thunderbird, Pidgin, Eclipse, Audacity etc.

For your word documents, excel sheets and presentations there are two cool application you can use in Linux: Open Office or Libre Office . Both are free to use and come packed with features and are updated with new features every six months or so.

Myth 4: Linux is not compatible. It's hard to find drivers.

As I interacted with a couple of members of the Ubuntu community I came to know: there are very few instances of hardware and software remaining that can't be used with Linux. If you are using a well known brand (which one isn't in today's world?) , it's very likely that Linux will run easily and almost flawlessly.

Myth 5: If something goes wrong, there is no place to turn for help.

I encountered a problem with my DVD drive once and as mentioned earlier with Ubuntu 11.04. When I posted my plea for help in one of the Ubuntu forums, I got a reply within 20 minutes and it worked. Unexpectedly, I also got a couple of more replies telling me how to perform the steps the first reply had mentioned because i had mentioned I was new to Linux. I am so surprised by the huge community of Ubuntu users & experts and their eagerness to help!

Myth 6: Linux's interface is not as attractive as Windows.

My desktop in Ubuntu 10.04

As i have experienced, this myth usually derives from myth mentioned in number 1 i.e. since Linux isn't user friendly, it's interface is not attractive as windows. I found this is the greatest myth of all. Compared to the aero effect in Windows, the effects in Linux are AWESOME! Rotating cubes for different desktops, wobbly windows, animated window behavior, inherent cool effects like watery desktop etc will make you conclude that it's windows that's ugly not Linux! I wouldn't say the same for Mac though, it's equally awesome!

Myth 7: You can't play games in Linux.

It's true only until you download two wonderful programs called WINE and PlayonLinux. Once you have these programs installed, "you can't play games in Linux" is just a myth. However, if you are seriously into gaming then I guess Linux is not for you yet as there are couple of games yet to be supported fully by Linux.

Well, that's it. I hope I have been able to convince you to switch to Linux (Ubuntu) although getting a Linux (couple of hours to download the latest version or Rs. 50 for the DVD) is as costly as getting the latest version of Windows in Nepal (Rs. 50 for the DVD). But the real reason you should start using Ubuntu or any other linux distro is not because they are free but because they are AWESOME!

--Surath Giri

When lions descend on the ground...

August 13, 2011 Surath Giri— min read

When I wrote my reflections regarding our government's noble attempt to save us from ourselves through smoking ban, most of my readers felt I was doing injustice to the government by having second thoughts about such noble attempts. "All you do is criticize government on whatever it does. Is there anything at all that government can do that you will welcome?", remarked one of my aspiring bureaucrat friend of mine. Well, he has a point I admit. Is there anything that government can do that will make me pleased?

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com

Fortunately, YES! I would be happy if the government saved us(30 million sheep as I mentioned in my earlier posts) from the lions that are about to descend on the ground. As you might be well aware, Mahesh Basnet maalik is pretty pissed off with Nagarik daily, its editor Narayan Wagle and all the journalists and bloggers for discriminating against the lions (Youth Association Nepal) by failing to appreciate their noble efforts to slaughter a journalist of Republica daily and has recently warned us that if we keep discriminating against those poor fellas of Youth Association Nepal for their activities, the lions will soon descend on the ground and sweep us all like Saptakoshi river. He has also threatened to throw Narayan Wagle behind bars and informed us that he knows where the police chiefs live and that they better watch out for their wives and children.

With due respect, Maaliks in the government, please save us! It is one thing if you did, I would really feel grateful. We keep paying our hard earned money hoping that you would save us when our lives and properties were in danger! It's not our fault that newspapers, journalist and bloggers failed to praise their noble efforts to slaughter a journalist. When we were young, we were taught that taking/attempting life of someone is a heinous criminal act and is punishable by law. We , as good citizens should condemn such criminal activities and do every effort on our part to deter such activities.So how come it's our fault that we failed to praise those poor lions for their activities?

Maaliks, you should have taught us that Maaliks were different. They are above the law and deserve praises for stealing, robbing or killing! You should have taught us that maaliks of new Nepal too were exempt from clutches of law just the way Gyanendra Maalik and his families used to be. You should have taught us law was not applicable to you folks. Folks like Narayan Wagle and journalists (and me too!) live in the illusion that it's a person natural right to express freely which includes criticizing wrong deeds of Maaliks as well!

By the way, I would feel very happy if the government decided to punish(and actually did) the murderers of Rosy Maharjan. But as I hear the person accused to be responsible for the murder is the son of one of the Maaliks at Forest ministry (Disclaimer: I just heard it and am not sure about it.), I am not sure if we are supposed to ask for him to be punished! Who wants to be wiped by lions or swept by Saptakoshi river anyway?