First, an anecdote from Bangladesh. Decades back, while working in the field of trade unions, I came across a news something like this: Beggars in Bangladesh unionized and submitted their charter of demands. The number one included refusing to accept an alms no less than 100 taka. Period. Since then I have not been able to update on this news.
In the wake of devastating damages done by Rasuwa flash flood, Nepal is voicing two concerns. One, the glacial collapse is due to global warming and climate change. Two, instead of seeking aid, and relief, it is directly demanding compensation for losses and damages. Unlike “not less than 100 taka” demand, it is not sure of the amount, but our Golden Boy has written a letter to the Board of Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage requesting immediate financial assistance. Having headed PDNA for April Earthquake 2015, he could have done a better job. The expectations for compensation range from $20-50 million. This will still be a peanut, in view of massive damage to economic and social infrastructures and private properties, destruction of habitat and loss of human life.
The problem is that the Fund has less than half a billion dollars in its coffer and there is already demands running over three billions, coming from one hundred countries. In the social media, one can read a comment: This is like one time application for a sick leave made by a student who bunked the class to a school principal. If you got it, it’s OK, if not, still OK. There is nothing wrong in trying.
Instead of begging why not demand? Nepalese elites are pleading with terms like “climate justice”, “compensation” and “shared responsibility” instead of “aid”, “charity” “doles” and “concessions”. We don’t need your charity, generosity or contributions, we demand outright compensation and justice.
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To emphasize Nepal’s point of view to the world, even media shy PM is visiting to NY to address UNGA. Earlier, he declined to visit and directed his foreign minister to address the assembly. There are both points of views – he should and should not address the UNGA. What this scribe is worried about is: bungling up his presentation and bringing further shame to the country, at an international level.
Nepal’s pleading ground is that we contribute near 0% of global emission, we have nothing to do with global warming; however, we are at the receiving end. This is not fair.
Remember our two big neighbors? They are the world’s two biggest polluters. And the third one, dubbed as sky neighbor, he ever happen to meet him, don’t care about global warming. For him, it is just a hoax to coax USA. The agenda of climate change goes deaf in their ears. That basically means we are going to bite more than what we can chew in the international arena. This is not to mean we should keep quiet. Definitely, we have to voice our concerns. Akin to Bangladeshi beggars, demanding a charity no less than 100 taka, without back-ups and enforcement, our voice may go mute. I did not see unionization even before making charter of demands here.
It is more than a week now since that misfortune, I have not been able to read some tentative figure on human loss. The death toll is rising and so with the number of missing persons. The rumor market is filled with various figures ranging from 15,000 to 50,000 death, 7000 houses vanished and total affected population might be over 1.6 to 1.7 million. There are villages and towns completely wiped out from the map. The bureau of statistics could have easily done this job. But still I don’t see any one doing any projections. There is just a feeling that the government is shying from publishing figures and estimates. Either nobody likes to take risks with hard facts and figures or there is inherent interest in publishing lower figures as they imply government inefficiency. But without hard facts and figures, how would you negotiate? How would you draw attention? Forget about relief and rehabilitation, even rescue operations seems to be bungled up. Even after 11 days, people are finding some survivors. Seems like the government is determined to close the chapter saying “technology to dig tunnels in the big mountains” is not available. With bungled operations, you cannot even draw international sympathy, forget about demanding reparations.
