Nepal and Bhutan News and discussion

[amritk]

May sound radical but one could say what is happening in Nepal (both us and China wooing them) is good. The region might develop while remaining friendly and accessible. Which is more than one can say at present for large parts of our own north east, unfortunately.

May even present opportunities for India and China to work together out of the media eye.

(OK rose tinted glasses off now )

[A_Gupta]

http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/i ... 23992.html

Kathmandu: India has provided NRs 6.5 million as financial assistance for development of a school in western Nepal which will benefit both Nepalese and Indian students.

India has given an assistance of NRs 5 million. An additional Memorandum of Understanding was also signed for NRs 1.5 million for procurement of furniture and computers for the school, according to a statement by the Indian embassy.

Ambassador of India to Nepal Ranjit Rae inaugurated the school building Pashupati Shiksha Mandir in Darchula district.

Both Nepalese and Indian students will benefit from the school as it is located in an area bordering India's Uttarakhand state in the far western region of Nepal.

[schinnas]

Time for India to have IIT, IIMs, AIIMS and BHU (for humanities) establish their branch in Nepal and Bhutan with world class facilities and student exchange programs with their counter parts in India. Language and cultural links are something very difficult for Cheen to match / compete with. Graduates of such universities will develop trade and entrepreneurship ventures with fellow exchange students from India further increasing our very close and formal people to people business contacts.

Such moves will also increase travel between India and Nepal / Bhutan and we should upgrade our rail, road and air connectivity with both Nepal and Bhutan simultaneously. Time to think big and act bold in our neighborhood. Nepal and Bhutan are two countries with most friendly disposed population towards India in our neighborhood and it is time to build on that.

IPL should be encouraged to expand to cover friendlies in Indian sub-continent and have Katmandu Knights, Timpu Titans or Columbu Singhas or Dhaka Dynamos. Improve cultural integration with Dharmic countries in our neighborhood. In due course of time, we should get Myanmar into this fold as well. A neighborhood culturally, educationally and economically integrated with India is our best strategic play in this region.

Modi sarkar has taken some good moves but we are not yet thinking big or acting bold. Still we are taking just baby steps. Hope someone with access to ears of PMO gets these ideas to them.

[Tuvaluan]

IITs barely have enough people to support the institutes in India. Just saying. That would have to be tackled with smarter ways to recruit talent from wherever possible. There are a lot of "brain drain"ees willing to come back to India and teach, but they will never be given a chance. Unless there is a surfeit of teaching talent, exporting these schools outside India seems to be of dubious value.

[deejay]

^^^ Nepalese from across Nepal have little option but to come to India for higher studies. Those who can afford it go elsewhere. Schooling is good and they have a very active but bureaucratic education board. A few CBSE board schools in places bordering India exist.

I visited to Nepal in 2013 and 2014 to export books to that country and I was surprised that more educational institutes wanted a tie up for a JV with an Indian firm to start a college / engineering college / medical college catering to Nepalese students. Most people want to study in Delhi NCR region.

[Tuvaluan]

Schooling is good and they have a very active but bureaucratic education board.

So not very different from the Indian end, clearly. Indian education is so broken starting from the primary education level all the way to higher education, and the bureaucracy comes up with stupid cr@p like "right to education" instead of building public education on a war footing...not that it is easy what with the worthless teachers union and all...anyway, OT sorry.

[member_24042]

I visited Nepal recently and 99% of Nepalis hate Indians. Stupid buggers who get free education, India should support the australoid Madhesis against the predominantly Mongoloid Paharis/Gorkhalis in their struggle for separation from Nepal, then we can annex the Terai. I can't think of a neighbor who benefits from its "big brother" but at the same time is a double dealing piece of crap, that aims to arm its big neighbor to the south.

[amritk]

schinnas,

What you suggest could be very effective. IPL is clearly very professionally (i.e. American-style sports management) run and could be more attractive to our neighbours in the short term ... OTOH not everyone is as crazy about American culture or the ME-influenced Bollywood as we are. Nepal and certainly Bhutan are much more in touch with their own roots than India as a whole. Based on my travels I would compare them to the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Regarding IIT/IIM/... does anyone (deejay?) know how level the playing field is for admissions and for jobs after graduation? Are they treated on par with citizens? If not, that might need to be addressed first. As an independent country the world is as open to them as it is to India. For the last few years I have been seeing large numbers of Nepali students in US universities (never in the Hindu temples, by the way, not even for durga puja). That's what Indian universities have to compete against.

I know someone from one of the countries in our region who got admission to IISc two years ago. She came to Bangalore to check the place out but could not get over the cobwebs and dated computers etc. She said her university back home had better facilities and I have no reason not to believe her. This is in 2013. She fully understands simple living high thinking etc, but still it was a huge disappointment after all that she had heard.

So there is not much choice but to get our house in order first. Unfortunately the Indian model of development does not favour isolated pockets of excellence - it is more uniform, so it will take time.

But yes, shared culture is very strong, as is IPL.

[Bade]

If India were to help start an elite institute in Nepal along the lines of IIM/IIT there are enough qualified people in Nepal from western universities who would perhaps be willing to help out in filling faculty strength. It is a great idea and will go a long way in improving ties further. From an Indian point of view, Nepal & Bhutan has to be kept entirely in the Indian orbit to keep the losses to a minimum with respect to the growth of influence that PRC has around our borders.

Nothing new after the PM's visit to Nepal in the news. Bhutan is a lesser worry as of now as things are better controlled.

[A_Gupta]

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 793_1.html

With a view to enhancing the close and friendly relations between India and Nepal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday between the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and the New Delhi-based Lalit Kala Akademi for promotion of and cooperation in the field of art and culture.

As part of the Nepal-India Art Exchange Programme, the MoU envisages NAFA and Lalit Kala Akademi working hand-in-hand to further enhance mutual understanding and friendly cultural relationship between the fine arts academicians, creative artists, culture administrators, scholars and intellectuals of the two countries through the exchange of delegations relating to various fine arts and cultural issues, and art exhibitions and exchange programmes on a reciprocal basis.

In addition, NAFA and Lalit Kala Akademi will conduct art exhibitions, support translation and publish books related to fine arts of both the countries, said a statement issued here after the ceremony.

[SanjayC]

I visited Nepal recently and 99% of Nepalis hate Indians. Stupid buggers who get free education, India should support the australoid Madhesis against the predominantly Mongoloid Paharis/Gorkhalis in their struggle for separation from Nepal, then we can annex the Terai. I can't think of a neighbor who benefits from its "big brother" but at the same time is a double dealing piece of crap, that aims to arm its big neighbor to the south.

"Bhey bin hoi no preet" -- without fear there is no respect. The more open you become for them and more rights you give them with respect to India, the more they will detest you and see you as a weakling trying to flatter them for favours. Make it harder for them to come to India, and they will grovel. Make it feel that every right they get from India is a privilege for them that they should be grateful for. Otherwise they will eat everything you give them and fart on your face.

[svinayak]

From the Sri Lankan Thread.
Other countries will react to India

It must also be noted that India has bourgeoned into almost a First World power over the past couple of decades. Given her present stature, one cannot see India being indifferent to policy initiatives and manoeuvres by her neighbours which could be seen by her as threatening her vital interests, whether they be of a security nature or otherwise.

Observers and publics must expect of India, conduct that is usually in keeping with that of a major power. It would be naïve in the extreme to expect things to be otherwise. India would always carve out for itself a major role in the affairs of not only South Asia but in those outside it as well. And given the current global power balance, it would be difficult for the world to ignore India’s voice and interests.

[pankajs]

Kunda Dixit ‏@kundadixit 28m28 minutes ago

Kathmandu Valley devastated by huge quake. Lots of buildings down. Pall of dust over city.

ET NOW ‏@ETNOWlive 28m28 minutes ago

JUST NOW : Earthquake of magnitude 7.7 hits Nepal

[arun]

My prayers for minimal and better yet no fatalities suffered by our Nations friends in Nepal.

PM Narendra Modi speaks to Nepal President, takes stock of quake damage

[Shreeman]

LOTS of fatalities in Nepal. Twitter has shots of dozens in places. The everest avalanches will have an even bigger economic impact.

[Sonugn]

And EJ vultures have been activated to feed off this disaster

[arun]

NDTV reporting GOI has ordered in C-17's and C-130's to fly from Hindon to Kathmandu with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and emergency supplies. Also helicopters will be pressed into service to assist in other areas of Nepal.

[Singha]

C130 had gone there last to help free a Turkish a330 that went off the runway

[Shreeman]

And EJ vultures have been activated to feed off this disaster

^^^

I seriously thought this was an off color joke. It is not. Apparently, Nepal is in need of knowing a true god.

Lord almighty, the pizza monster, is not going to be pleased. This sprint to the bottom has to end. Is nothing sacred any more?

[Shreeman]

C130 had gone there last to help free a Turkish a330 that went off the runway

A c130 has flown.

This is a large scale disaster, as usual, to the benefit of the chinese.

[Hari Seldon]

IBTL ‏@IndiaBTL 5m5 minutes ago
NDRF personnel wid sniffer dogs also sent. Anothr C-17 IAF at standby. Lightning speed work by @narendramodi. Personally monitoring whole op

IBTL ‏@IndiaBTL 6m6 minutes ago
PM @narendramodi's brilliant work in Bhuj earthquake again seen at display. First C-130 J Hercules sent with 4 tonnes of relief material.

[Singha]

timesnow shows more a/c on the apron being loaded with stuff by ndrf type staff. RNS is monitoring the damage in UP, Bihar and nearby areas which also felt something like 7.5

the c130, c17, p8 I have seen are always there when needed....pretty good uptimes for large a.c I think.....over the years these 3 will pay off handsomely. a poseidon also helped to locate the boat carrying 600cr of heroin...and they have flown missions last yr to trace MH370 by deploying immediately to indonesia and singapore.

[Shreeman]

^^^ The only difference is news reporting. Its not like no smugglers were caught before. The TFTA marketing vs "super secret dont-tell-nobody the capabilities of our TU142 IL38SD DoDo228s". Lets not go overboard with a C130 being any different than the 76s or 32s here. Kathmandu is mostly functional. Any widebody would have gotten there with more. Those VVIP737s. I say hand them to the disaster management folks.

Frankly, this eyewash is exactly why I dont support the Cxx, Pxx type purchases. Regardless of the capability.

[Shreeman]

Numbers will climb very fast, reaching 500 here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/ ... 7B20150425

[arun]

The earthquake with epicentre in Nepal has also resulted in fatalities on our side of the border :

Earthquake: 6 dead, 17 injured as high intensity tremors hit Bihar

[vijaykarthik]

Ive been to Nepal earlier and Kathmandu is freaking dense. And the highways look pretty badly damaged looking at pics. Someplace in the middle from KTM to Pokhara, the news says. Might be a massive biggie. Since earthquake is also at a shallow depth, it might lead to even more damage?

Looks like bhaktapur's durbar square has gone down. Kaput. Not sure about Patan / Kirtipur [old name of Kathmandu].

Looks like a terrible time for them. Poor fellas.

Whats the news about EJ types feeding off the disaster now? Any links, please?

[Shreeman]

The earthquake with epicentre in Nepal has also resulted in fatalities on our side of the border :

Earthquake: 6 dead, 17 injured as high intensity tremors hit Bihar

Numbers are higher -- 20 something reported this side at last count.

But Nepal is flattened.

[Shreeman]

Ive been to Nepal earlier and Kathmandu is freaking dense. And the highways look pretty badly damaged looking at pics. Someplace in the middle from KTM to Pokhara, the news says. Might be a massive biggie. Since earthquake is also at a shallow depth, it might lead to even more damage?

Looks like bhaktapur's durbar square has gone down. Kaput. Not sure about Patan / Kirtipur [old name of Kathmandu].

Looks like a terrible time for them. Poor fellas.

Whats the news about EJ types feeding off the disaster now? Any links, please?

[Mukesh.Kumar]

Just got off the phone with my colleague in KTM. Says death toll in Kathmandu itself is already close to 1,000. The only silver lining is that it happened in summer. Winter would have compounded things.

[Shreeman]

What makes peeple stand around like its a tamasha when 6.x aftershocks are happening and due?

There is mostly people wanting to flatten the fallen buildings by climbing upon them than any reskue akchually going on.

[Shreeman]

Just got off the phone with my colleague in KTM. Says death toll in Kathmandu itself is already close to 1,000. The only silver lining is that it happened in summer. Winter would have compounded things.

ast one 20 some years ago cost 10,000+ lyves. This one also weel be varry kostlee.

Gud opporchunity for deconjesting and rekonstrukting and building decent links within and to india.

[arun]

Numbers will climb very fast, reaching 500 here:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/ ... 7B20150425

Reuters now reporting 688 fatalities.

India must pull out all stops and provide unstinting aid to our friends in Nepal, a start of which has been made, in this hour of their difficulty:

Nepal quake toll reaches 688 - govt

[Shreeman]

^^^ Closer to 1,000 now.

edit -- not.one.single.piece.of.heavy.machinery.in.use.anywhere!

[chetak]

I visited Nepal recently and 99% of Nepalis hate Indians. Stupid buggers who get free education, India should support the australoid Madhesis against the predominantly Mongoloid Paharis/Gorkhalis in their struggle for separation from Nepal, then we can annex the Terai. I can't think of a neighbor who benefits from its "big brother" but at the same time is a double dealing piece of crap, that aims to arm its big neighbor to the south.

I don't know about 99% but you are very right about the sentiment. poor, middle class or rich, accomplished and upwardly mobile nepalis are all also quite vocal about this once they get comfortable and they begin to speak freely.

[Shreeman]

I visited Nepal recently and 99% of Nepalis hate Indians. Stupid buggers who get free education, India should support the australoid Madhesis against the predominantly Mongoloid Paharis/Gorkhalis in their struggle for separation from Nepal, then we can annex the Terai. I can't think of a neighbor who benefits from its "big brother" but at the same time is a double dealing piece of crap, that aims to arm its big neighbor to the south.

I don't know about 99% but you are very right about the sentiment. poor, middle class or rich, accomplished and upwardly mobile nepalis are all also quite vocal about this once they get comfortable and they begin to speak freely.

Chetak,

There are genuine reasons for a sentiment to build up over the years. At best, the nepali grievence displays are AAP level if exaggerated. You can choose the lines of division and soon they will separate you from everyone outside your bedroom. There will be a time to discuss this. Perhaps not now.

[Singha]

I am sure barring parts of Delhi most Indian city apts and offices in north and east India have no followed the siesmic zone build codes for the highest zone they are in.

Casualties for a quake like this in Patna Lucknow or Guwahati will be far higher in collapses and permanent damage albeit our rescue and relief is also far stronger than bankrupt Nepal.

[AjayKK]

http://www.firstpost.com/world/iaf-airl ... 12826.html

New Delhi: Indian Air Force's C-130 J Super Hercules aircraft today took off from the Hindon airbase here carrying NDRF personnel and relief material to Nepal in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has hit the Himalayan country.

Defence sources said a C-17 Globemaster is being prepared for take off and will be carrying about 40-member strong Rapid Reaction Aero Medical Team and doctors besides relief material to the country after India assured Nepal of all help.

A 1L-76 transport aircraft will also take off soon with more National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel on board.

After dropping the NDRF team, C-130 J will perform aerial recce to check road communication to Pokhara and return to Hindon, defence ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted.

The defence ministry has already put Indian Army, BRO and IAF assets on standby for any task in view of the earthquake.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahesh Sharma said Air India and IndiGo flights are ready for departure to Kathmandu for rescuing the stranded Indians.

"Three Air India flights and some Indigo are ready to take off but the Air Traffic Control in Kathmandu is closed. Once the ATC resumes operations these aircraft will start flying there," he told PTI.

When asked about international flights bound for Kathmandu being diverted to India, he said the flights are being diverted to Delhi and some other airports close to the Nepal capital.

Asked whether stranded Indians would be rescued via roads, he said that option would also explored.

[Shreeman]

I am sure barring parts of Delhi most Indian city apts and offices in north and east India have no followed the siesmic zone build codes for the highest zone they are in.

Casualties for a quake like this in Patna Lucknow or Guwahati will be far higher in collapses and permanent damage albeit our rescue and relief is also far stronger than bankrupt Nepal.

Numbers are rising in Bihar, WB, northern UP. They will be in easy three figures when all is said and done. Aftershocks are likely to rattle on for some time.

I have slept through a high 6 and a low 6. Both times in pretty insecure circumstances. But a high 7 is a different beast.

Cracks are routine in Delhi buildings after minor tremors. People patch them up and pretend they live upmarket. Building codes and poor building mayerials are not rural exclusives. Few buildings will stand up to a 7 in gurgaon.

[svinayak]

18:48(IST)
Indian Army mountaineering team discovers 13 bodies at Everest Base Camp, no Indian casualty
According to a Times Now report, a team of mountaineers of the Indian Army discovered 13 dead bodies from the Everest Base Camp as an avalanche had hit the base soon after the killer quake. All Indian mountaineers on various expeditions in Nepal are said to be safe.
There are reports that 18 foreign climbers have lost their lives due to the earthquake

[Shreeman]

spokesperson-mod == X,000 phollowers.
randum gernalist == X00,000 phollowers. retweeting same bichhars for punya.