The bamboo conference had passed a resolution to promote it as a building material, declare Khotang as the bamboo capital and establish a bamboo research institute
Morality in politics has virtually been a thing of the past now. It is reflected by the alleged implication of the big three – Sher Bahadur Deuba, K P Oli and Prachanda – in the wide body, tea estate and cantonment scams, respectively. Their suffocating life-styles marked by their palace-like residences and their commutation in expensive vehicles like Prado and Pajero tend to provide substance to this allegation. This would not be the case had they emulated Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore, a former military major, who is content with the salary of a major despite being the president.
May be it's a myth, but we had politicians like King Janak, who was known as a Rajarshi, meaning a saint king or a saint politician. King Janak's court resonated with the wise opinion of his own teacher, Astabakra, philosophers Yagnavalkya and lady Gargi. The duo's philosophical deliberation about the soul described in Chandogya Upanishad is really fascinating.
In Nepal, in the Malla times, there were kings like Siddhinarasimha Malla who constructed an architectural gem, the Krishna Mandir, in the 17th century. He was also known as a saint king who survived to a ripe age of 104 years. Long before his demise he acceded the throne to his son Sri Nivas Malla.
In recent times, former prime ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Manmohan Adhikari and Sushil Koirala enjoyed the privilege of joining this list of saint politicians. Bhattarai entered the prime minister's residence with a pitcher and an umbrella, the sole two objects that he carried back when he exited from it to his relative's private residence. That Sushil Koirala had only three mobiles with him is also well known. Similarly, Adhikari also exercised communism in letter and spirit by leading a modest life unlike the politicians of today who cannot walk a step without a sophisticated vehicle.
Nepali political arena has been virtually bereft of such politicians exercising morality of the highest order. But recently, a saint politician seems to have reincarnated in the form of a young politician Tirtha Bhattarai, who is also the Mayor of Diktel Municipality. Bhattarai launched a fast unto death protest at the Maitighar quadrangle early last week, raising a seven-point demand. He resorted to this extreme step after the government turned a deaf ear to his environment-protection measures in view of the disasters preying on the country one after another.
These demands included damage compensation from carbon emitting countries, preparation of a building code for the use of bamboo; imposition of a 10 per cent tax on polluting plastic industries; regulation of the crusher industries; use of environment-friendly materials like bamboo by the offices of the ministries of forest and industry to begin with along with the declaration of Khotang as the bamboo capital; heavy action against defaulting contractors in construction projects on the way to Khotang from Kathmandu, and finally the management for the terror created by monkeys throughout the country.
It may be remembered that a Bamboo Conference was held in Khotang with the participation of academicians, researchers, promoters and facilitators like the government line agencies in early March. It had passed a resolution regarding the promotion of bamboo as a building material, declaring Khotang as the bamboo capital and establishing a bamboo research institute amongst many others. Bhattarai does not merely preach but also practices, which is reflected in the use of bamboo furniture in his office.
Bamboo is an amazingly beneficial material. In Nepal, it is used right from birth to death. Accordingly, the origin of birth and marriage take place in a bamboo pavilion. The dead body is tied onto a bamboo framework before cremating it on the burning ghat. Bamboo is consumed as a vegetable in the form of bamboo shoot. Moreover, it is used as a major building material in the villages. Recent research carried out by this columnist showed that the compressive strength of bamboo reinforced with laterite red clay compares favourably with brickwork in cement mortar of 1 to 4 proportion. Moreover, a bamboo grid structure functions like reinforced concrete slab in a residential building.
This is why bamboo is known as the poor man's lumbar in China, people's friend in India and a brother in Vietnam. It is the fastest growing plant with several species spread around the world. It is available in 74 of the 77 districts in Nepal. When the production of one ton of cement and steel spews 1 and 2 tons of poisonous carbon dioxide respectively, the production of 1 ton of bamboo absorbs one ton of the gas instead. Its only weakness – the vulnerability to attacks by termites – can be remedied by the use of several affordable preservatives available in the market.
The country has witnessed several hunger strikes unto death, the most prominent of them being those by Dr Govinda KC. But Bhattarai's protest is of a different species altogether. It reminds one of Sundar Bahuguna of India, who led the Chipko movement by clasping onto the trees to prevent their reckless felling. Bhattarai's demands were so appealing that the country had to fulfil most of his demands, which led to the termination of the strike. But it remains to be seen whether the government will seriously follow them up in view of its indifference after such agreements were made in the past.
The organisation of the bamboo conference in far-off Diktel and now the hunger strike for the cause of the environment indicates the transformation of Bhattarai from a routine political worker to a saint politician ready to steer the country from troubled waters. The likes of him should be projected as a leader in the forthcoming election to restore the deteriorating faith of the people in the present polity.
