We all have to make sacrifices -- or do we?

There was a little excitement here over the past few days. The new government came out with its new budget last Friday and decided to omit funds in support of the numerous Hindu religious festivals. Since communists are typically not a religious lot, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that a Maoist-led government would do this. They’re trying to find money to improve transportation and hydroelectric production – two of the biggest issues in Nepal’s development – so something had to give.

Well, it went over like a lead balloon, especially since the announcement came during the Indrajatra festival and just before Dashain – two of the biggest Hindu festivals of the year. In the past the government has given nearly $700,000 per year for festivals, with $166,000 of that used for purchasing animals for sacrificing at temples. Indrajatra and Dashain are big animal sacrificing holidays, with water buffalo sacrificed at the end of Indrajatra and lots of goats, chickens and ducks sacrificed during Dasain.

Last Saturday, on the last night of Indrajatra, there was a riot at Durbar Square where the chariot carrying the Kumari (Living Goddess) was to be pulled by young men one last time. Angered by the government’s new policy, the crowd took it out on the police and five people were injured.

The next day, a “bandh” (strike) was called in protest. I was waiting at my bus stop at 7:50am when someone got the news on their cell phone that our bus to Kathmandu University wasn’t coming because the main road was blocked by demonstrators. So, I walked back home and went with Bonnie to the American Club at Phora Durbar, had a cup of coffee and swam in the pool for an hour while she had a Pilates lesson. On the way back home we passed a group of protestors who were enforcing the bandh by making shop owners close down. Many of them opened back up again after the protestors left.

Many people we’ve talked to, especially the younger ones, aren’t really tied to the animal sacrificing and wouldn’t mind if it disappeared completely. But they all thought that the government’s timing of the announcement was pretty bad. The Prime Minister is out of the country on a trip to India and the U.S., so maybe he wanted to deflect some of the criticism away from himself and had the announcement made in his absence.

I’m looking forward to seeing President Bush receive Prime Minister Prachanda, who I think is still on the U.S. terrorist list since he headed up the Maoist insurgency for 10 years. A terrorist in the White House!! Run away!!