By Sudheer Raj Sharma Dhakal

A source close to Water and Energy Users’ Federation Nepal (WAFED), which has been raising the issues of high dam projects and environment degradation due to such projects in Nepal, disclosed the fact that the latter is working for a demonstration against 750 MW West Seti Hydroelectric Project in the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia from 2 to 5 May 2009. For the purpose, some visual documents have also been prepared where some youths can be viewed chanting slogans with English placards in rural Nepal.

The most important international economic and development gathering in Indonesia in 2009, the ADB Annual Meeting will bring together more than 3,000 people from across the globe. As per the information posted on the official site of ADB, the annual meetings are statutory occasions for governors of ADB members to provide guidance on administrative, financial, and operational directions. Additionally, the meetings provide opportunities for member governments to interact with ADB staff, non-government organizations (NGOs), media, and representatives of observer countries, international organizations, academe and the private sector.

Delegation

WAFED’s campaign coordinator Ratan Bhandari is leading the Nepali delegation that includes Deependra Bista from Dadeldhura, Bheem Bhandari from Bajhang and Raj Kumar Lekhi from Terai. As per the coverage from the Far West dallies last month, Ratan Bhandari and Bheem Bhandari played a crucial role in organizing a demonstration at Deura of Bajhang district when a special ADB mission was in the site for fact finding on West Seti. Those dailies reported that Bheem, who is a Maoist district level leader and said to be under special observation from his own party, was seen in the demonstration where the mob chanted slogans against ADB and West Seti. While Bista, a permanent resident of Dadeldhura, who claims he to be a journalist, is in close allies with the Maoists but he is not involved in any media organization so far.

The next high-profiled delegate Lekhi is a Tharu leader from Terai. Since a few years, Tharu have been opposing the group relocation of people from the West Seti affected areas to Kailali and Kanchapur. The Lekhi’s involvement in the Ratan’s campaign will disrespect the sentiments of whole Tharu populace. In the past, several Tharu leaders spoke formally that their community is just against group relocation from the Hills to Terai but they want West Seti for the development of Far Western Nepal.

So, this is a sad story of misusing the dignified personality for the sake of opposing ADB’s involvement in Nepal and for the sake of money to run WAFED to ruin the national development. Not only Lekhi, other potential leaders from Far West like Shankar Khadka, LB Rawal and Dharmendra Bastola have been misused for making propaganda by the Kathmandu-based NGO.

The WAFED source said that the event is of great importance for several organization to which the former is affiliated. WAFED is either a member of or funded by several organizations like Himalayan & Peninsular Hydro-Ecological Network, World Commission on Dams, Narmada Bachao Andolan, International Rivers Network, NGO Forum on ADB, Both Ends of The Netherland and Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society.

 The NGO Forum on ADB stated that Forum has been active during the Annual Governors’ Meeting (AGM) of the ADB. “During the AGM, the Board of Governors, who are representing ADB’s member countries, make important decisions that set the direction of the Bank in terms of its policies and programmes”, reads the forum’s website. According to the website, the NGO Forum on ADB is a network of civil society organizations that has been monitoring the projects, programs and policies of the ADB since 1992.

The interesting fact regarding this forum is that it neither accepts money from the ADB nor is it in any way part of it. More precisely, it’s a group of civil society organizations that are active enough to oppose the ADB’s investments in major energy projects.

Visa

Launching the official host country-site of the AGM, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance Republic of Indonesia said, “The 2009 Annual Meeting will provide an important opportunity to ADB’s 67 members and representatives of the business, academic, non-government and private sectors to discuss far-reaching global issues.”  She said that together with ADB’s management, all Indonesians are determined to ensure the gathering delivers meaningful conclusions. For fulfilling the goal of ADB- reduction of poverty in Asia and the Pacific-the AGM will certainly be a pioneer for making important decisions regarding the development of several member states.

When the Maoists-headed government is vowing generation of 10,000 MW of hydropower power in the next 10 years, certainly opposing West Seti is not a logical step in terms of developing Nepal. It is another laughter that few Maoists, including Bhandari brothers, would be standing outside the AGM venue opposing the power project with direct foreign investment, while Maoist ideologue Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai would be yelling for the support from the global financial community. Is not a shame for the nation? People in the venue must pay mercy for the stupidity to those people who are making hue and cry against the national development.

If this project is not as per the interest of Nepal and the Nepali citizens, the government should come forward to say strong ‘No’ to West Seti. But, sending such a negative-mission-delegation to Bali for the sake of opposing West Seti can never be a good deal between the Government of Nepal (GoN) and ADB. If not in high dam hydropower projects, ADB can support development of Nepal in various sectors like health, water, education and poverty reduction. So, the responsible ministry of GoN, as well as, Indonesian Embassy in Kathmandu should check visa permit to this delegation, which will bring back the negative impression in Nepal.

(The writer is the Editor of Hydronepal.org, and can be commented at editor@hydronepal.org)

 Note: The article is reproduced from The Rising Nepal, April 30, Thursday