DEVELOPING LUMBINI AS EPICENTRE OF WORLD PEACE

Developing Lumbini as Epicenter of World Peace

(Published in The Kathmandu Post, June 9, 2016)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

Recently, the third International Buddhist Conference in Kathmandu on 19-20 May, followed by the 2560^th Buddha Jayanti celebration in Lumbini concluded, with the central theme: Lumbini as the birthplace of Buddha, the fountain of Buddhism and world peace.

Its participants included venerable monks and respectable nuns, professors, educationist, cultural experts & archaeological, artists, research scientists, dignitaries, Buddhist scholars, devotees, enthusiasts from over 32 countries, and the government-level delegations from 28 states.

Discovering the Epicenter of World Peace

The conference was special in many ways. Based on the archaeological evidences, and historical facts, and relying on the scientific principles, the event reaffirmed Lumbini as the birthplace of Buddha, and origin of Buddhism and the fountain of world peace.

Presenting his research paper “New Archaeological Discoveries in Nepal’s Natal Landscape of the Buddha”, Professor  Robin Coningham of UK’s Durham University concluded—based on the historical facts and their calibration with other contemporary archaeological evidence—that Buddha was born in Lumbini. He revealed that in 1896 General Khadka Shamsher and Dr. Anton Fuhrer had uncovered in Rumindei in the Terai a stone pillar with an inscription carved in early Brahmi script that read: “Beloved of the Gods, King Piyadasi (Ashoka) when 20 years consecrated came to worship saying here the Buddha Sakyamuni was born.” Belonging to the corpus erected by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka across South Asia, the pillar’s inscription confirmed the site as Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha.

Another research paper on the birthplace confirmation was presented by Professor Anil Shakya - Bhikshu 'Sungandha' - of Thailand’s Mahamakut Buddhist University. In proving the case, he highlighted the fact that the inscription engraved on the Lumbini pillar in 5 lines consists of 93 Brahmi characters, which includes: ‘HidabhagavamjatetiLumminigame: Lumbini village where the Buddha was born.’     

The participants converged on the point of oneness of Buddha and Buddhism, and considered Lumbini to be the epicenter of world peace.

Being a deep admirer of Buddha’s teachings & philosophies, and being an artist of Buddha portraits, I felt privileged to take part in the conference. Besides, this conference provided me an opportunity to display my creations of Buddha portraits on canvas in the grand conference hall of Soaltee Crown Plaza.

The conference concluded in Lumbini on 21^st May with a 10-point Declaration, endorsing a plan to promote Lumbini as the centre of Buddhist faith.

Tasks Ahead

The greatest challenge ahead is the effective execution of the Lumbini Declaration. At its core lies the issue of how to achieve the timely implementation of Lumbini World Peace City Master Plan. While the funding sources and investment modalities are expected to play critical role in shaping the process, importance of the following matters should not be underestimated.

1)     Conserving Lumbini’s Environment

First and foremost, Lumbini should be free from environmental hazards. The main threat comes from the proliferating carbon emitting factories—particularly, cement, brick and steel industries—in the periphery. The emissions are putting both the social and the natural environmental health under serious threat of degradation in general, and the temples, monasteries and the 20 century old Ashoka pillar, in particular.

A comprehensive air quality assessment conducted at the Lumbini World Heritage Site and its vicinity by the WHO in 2013 showed that the PM2.5 (fine particles) touch unhealthy level of 270 µg/m3 which is 11 times higher than the WHO permissible level. The noise pollution too exceeds the standard of 50 dB and 40 dB at day and night-time respectively. The solid waste is ever increasing in Lumbini. As an Environmental Engineer, I am convinced that these conditions pose serious health hazards especially the respiratory and heart diseases on human beings and threats to biodiversity, and the ancient monuments.

Immediate and stringent legal actions should be thus taken by government, concerned ministries and Lumbini Development Trust to exclude all carbon-emitting industries established within the Lumbini Protected Zone - which is the region covering a 15 km aerial distance from the Lumbini Project Area. Furthermore, less polluting technologies, such as solar PV and electric vehicles should be promoted in the heritage site.

2) Globalizing Buddhist Education System

Buddhism’s another unique attribute to the society is education. In fact, the heart of Buddhism is education, and Buddha is synonym to Teaching.

The Lumbini declaration endorses to promote Lumbini as the centre for International Buddhist studies with Lumbini Buddhist University as an international centre for its excellence. 

Lumbini should be developed as an academic hub, establishing institutions covering studies and researches on Buddhism. Besides, it should be made obligatory to include Buddha and His Teachings in the curriculum of the educational institutions throughout the world, starting from the primary level. This would help induce and enhance students’ high moral principles.

Buddhist teachings go beyond formal educations in universities and institutions—where one earns degrees merely for bread-and-butter and for comfortable and luxurious physical life. In contrast, the Teachings have their own philosophy of holistic education that help understand the whole process of life through the inner-intelligence. They are solutions to ever-increasing human sufferings. Buddhism shows a secular and universal path to mankind in the most scientific approach for establishment of sustainable peace, happiness and prosperity. Albert Einstein once said - “If there is any religion that could respond to the needs of modern science, it would be Buddhism.”-

3)     Promoting Buddhist Culture and Heritage

 

Buddha was arguably the first scientist in the world to give scientific vision to humanity. To sustain Buddha’s teachings we have to promote and protect the historical sites, and also preserve them for the future generation.

Nepal should promote more academic researches, archeological excavations, restoration and conservation works and scholarly engagement in Lumbini, Kapilvastu, Devdaha, Ramgram, Tilaurakot and all the Buddha-related religious historical places, and develop them as tourist destination.

Besides, co-operations and coordination throughout the world are needed to preserve and promote Buddhist temples, monasteries, pagodas, sculptures, libraries, museums and art galleries. Most importantly the state needs to have strong political commitment and allocate necessary funds for these purpose.

More interactions, communications and events organization in collaboration with the international communities are needed. This could include seeking UN’s endorsement for celebrating Buddha Jayanti day and organizing international Buddhist conference annually in Nepal, and developing Lumbini as the Mecca of Buddhist Pilgrimage.

(The author is the founding Chairperson of Buddha Harmony Academy)R

POLLUTION HAZARD AT YOUR DOORSTEP

Pollution Hazard At Your Doorstep

(Published in The Kathmandu Post, Ma6 , 2016)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

Environmental-pollution-induced health hazards in Kathmandu are only getting uglier. Kathmanduties are facing ever-bulging health issues due to continued attack from all the three fonts: air, noise, and water pollutions.

Recently, Kathmandu was tagged as the world’s third most polluted city-slipping down two places from its 2015 position, as reported in the Kathmandu Post. This tag is consistent with the Clean Energy Nepal’s 2014 report. It revealed that the city’s aerosol in core urban places like Putalisadak, during the rush hours in dry season, carries PM2.5 as high as 260µg/m3, which is over 10 times the WHO’s set limit of 25µg/m3. PM2.5 is the particulate matter suspended in the air that are smaller than 2.5 micron, which is small enough to enter our lung while breathing.

Health issues created by unhygienic drinking water that the city’s residence have been compelled to use over the decade has the story of its right.  Less talked about but equally dangerous devil damaging our health is the noise pollution.

The major culprits behind the air and noise pollution in the city are the vehicles and the diesel power generators, both of them have been growing exponentially. Vehicles count has multiplied over threefold within a decade—according to the data from Department of Transport Management—in Bagmati Zone, which accounts for 45% of the total vehicles registered in the whole country.

Thanks to the persistent load shedding induced by the state’s reckless energy policy, the valley is facing threat  from another, otherwise avoidable, major culprit—diesel power generator. To make the matter worse, the generator is more active during the dry season, when the load shedding hits 18 hours a day, synergizing the pollution effect. According to a study by Clean Air Network Nepal,  59% of the total diesel volume sold in the city—during the fiscal year 2011/2012—were consumed by the generators alone. Over the past four years since that study, use of the generators have likely multiplied. For,  around my own neighborhood alone, the generators population has consistently been growing. 

These pollutions are directly linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, damaging our health and threatening our lives. A WHO study in 2009 estimated 1,926 cases of premature deaths annually. Clean Energy Nepal reported in 2014 that the number of hospitalized Chronic-Obstructive-Pulmonary-Disease (COPD) patients is highest during the dry season, when air pollution is at its peak.

The other day, I, myself landed in the ICU bed of Om Hospital & Research Centre in Chabahil. There I found myself with my arms tangled in four types of drips with the nurses continuously monitoring the data from all the four sides for BP, heart rate, temperature, and oxygen flow to my lung. I had to be hospitalized to treat against the extreme flare-up of my bronchial asthma, as a direct consequence of the worsening pollution in the Kathmandu valley.

Like any other Kathmanduties, I too am a direct victim of air pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution. Ironically, my physical suffering is compounded by mental anguish that springs from my underlying training and consciousness on environmental matters.

When I returned to my homeland with specialization in Environmental Engineering from National University of Singapore and after conducting research in Clean Energy from the University of Tokyo, I had a dream to contribute to the sustainable development of this beautiful Himalayan nation, restoring and preserving its green, and pollution-free environment. I knew we had to walk miles and that it takes more than individual initiative to materialize this beautiful dream. I had, and still have, the determination to contribute my share to that end. But little did I know the harsh reality that I have to face the environmental pollution at my own doorsteps.

From one side, we are tortured by Amol Cyber’s generators in Dhobighat, which operate non-stop during the load shedding hours, producing loud noise and emitting poisonous fumes—of black carbon and carbon monoxide—facing directly to our garden. The little piece of garden where we could breathe morning’s fresh air has turned into a chamber of poisonous gas and irritating noise.  Victimized by this pollution, my octogenarian bed-ridden parents have become patients of bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, hyper tension, depression, insomnia and loss of hearing. Besides I am worried about fire or explosion that may erupt anytime due to lapse of safety standard in operating that generator. 

And from the other side, we are continuously distressed by Dhobighat’s ‘Mirror Club and Lounge’ that runs disco every night, from 11pm till 4am. Its unfettered loud noise during the prime sleeping time flouts any rational standard, depriving the neighborhood of sound sleep, and of the right to live peacefully in own house.  

My attempts to fight with these polluters have remained futile. The Amol Cyber owner refuses to believe that using silencer and providing chimney to the generators is his duty. The issue with the ‘Mirror’ is more complicated. Many in the neighborhood are scared even to raise this noise pollution issue.  Attempts by neighborhood police box to regulate the pub has failed. The bar’s illegal activities are being protected by some invisible powers associated with the state authorities. 

Do I have the right to breath in clean air, and to live in pollution-free environment in my own home? On paper, yes. Nepal’s Constitution has enshrined this as a fundamental right of its citizens. It even promises to punish a polluter and require to compensate its victims. So, unless I am living in the failed state, it has the constitutional duty to ensure that right and to punish the polluter. Considering the state’s continued assertion that it is functional, I should not be facing any problem in exercising the basic right to breath clean air and to live in peaceful environment. 

If the state has not failed in discharging its constitutional duties or is colluding with the polluters, then owes me an answer. When will the state arrive in my locality to regulate the polluters, and how long do I need to continue to live in such suffocating environment?

(The Author is an Environmental Engineer)

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2016-05-15/pollution-at-your-doorstep.html

LIFT THE BURDEN

Enabling the Differently-Abled of Nepal

(Published in The Kathmandu Post, November 10, 2015)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

Just imagine, for a second, when the ability to move your hands and legs freely - the most precious gift bestowed by nature on human body - gets robbed suddenly making you dependent on wheelchair or crutches, and in the worst case bed-ridden for the rest of your life. Can you still see the survival of your life’s colorful dreams? Now imagine what it takes for that wheel-chaired you to lead a dignified, fulfilling, and inspirational life.

Every year, thousands of spinal-cord-injured are compelled to face this in reality due to man-made accidents or natural disasters. A spinal-cord injury blocks communication between the brain and the rest of the body—partially or completely paralyzing the body’s whole host of muscular and nerve functions. The National Federation of Disabled, Nepal (NFDN) has thus categorized spinal injury as Disability Class ‘A’ among other disabilities as visually impaired, hearing & speech impaired, mobility impaired and mentally retarded.

A spinal-cord-injured needs much more than a wheel-chair. Physiotherapy treatment and medical stabilization for rehabilitation, psychological counseling for motivation, vocational training that helps find a job. Wheelchair-friendly public facilities, and our transformed mindset that treats the differently-abled not with pity, but embraces them in the society with love and respect.    

Challenges faced by them are enormous. Gayatri Dahal, an active member of NSCISA and social worker who is bound to wheel-chair since the past 30 years of her life, puts it this way- “We, the spinal injured, are like small babies because our daily life cannot run without a volunteer by our side, our legs are impaired, our bladder and bowel movement are not under our control. Especially due to this we are considered burden by our own family members, and it is not unnatural to have the suicidal thoughts as a last resort to all our problems. The spinal injured are highly vulnerable to urinary tract infection, and have high risk of dying from depression, inception and bed sores.”

So, where do we stand in addressing their basic needs?

To start with, we do have a Swiss-NGOs-funded Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) in Banepa’s Saanga, which was inaugurated in April 2002 by Sir Edmund Hillary. The Centre rehabilitates the patients by physical and emotional healings, conducts psychological counseling to boost their morale and resolve to rehabilitate, and provides vocational training needed to find job and to reintegrate and restructure their lives.

While the the physical rehabilitation’s importance is obvious, the role of counseling experts is vital in installing and driving forward the patients’ hope. A fellow spinal-injured is best positioned to lead others in the path of hope, because their peers’ life-examples and experiences have power to fuel and motivate them. Artificial-legged Thomas Whittaker climbed the Mt. Everest in 1998 and so did  Erik Weihemmayer in 2001 despite being blind.

In Nepal, a team of 9 such spinal injured wheel-chaired counselors have taken an initiative in that direction. In a desperate attempt to prove their enormous passion for life and sports, these  peer counselors have established Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association (NSCISA) in 2009 and started running a series of sport activities in collaboration with Danish Sports Organization for the Disabled. The Association became the first-of-its-kind organization to introduce wheelchair basketball, para swimming, and wheelchair cricket in Nepal.

In  2014, the Association’s activities went beyond the national boarder, when it participated in the international wheelchair basketball tournament in Bangladesh. This year, the Association  hosted in Kathmandu the first ever international wheelchair cricket series between Nepal and Pakistan.  

If we are to know more about the spinal-injured, nothing compares to meeting and associating  them in person. This is so, at least in my case. Three years ago, when I first visited the SIRC in Saanga, I found myself in a world that I had never known before. Despite themselves being victims of unfortunate accidents, struggles, and sufferings, the spinal injured had divine gifts to offer: their heart-winning smiles. I could see in their innocent eyes the love for and hope in life, despite the devastating new realities that they were compelled to face. I salute the spirit of  these extraordinary people.

In the days that followed, I made repeated visits to them. I started inviting them as special guests in my solo-painting exhibitions in Nepal Art Council Babarmahal, literary ceremonies, social gatherings, and even to play “Dheusi-Bhailo’ during Deepawali in my yard. In no time, my intimacy and love to them grew to such an extent that the spinal-injured became among my best friends.

That friendship proved crucial in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake when we joined hands in the pious mission for these earthquake victims. 

On 13th June 2015, we coordinated and organized the Earthquake-Refreshment Wheelchair Basketball Tournament to the wheel-chair bound with the aim to provide them physical and mental refreshment and also to raise awareness of sports among the disabled. The following day, we organized a refreshment programme to all the spinal-injured patients undergoing treatment in SIRC, where the patients had almost doubled following the two great quakes. We are thankful to German Nepal Friendship Association (GNFA) for sponsoring these events.

To assist in their emotional healing, we engaged them in creative art and counseling. Involving a group of artists, we organized an art therapy to the earthquake-traumatized differently-abled children in SOS Village in Jorpati and Disabled Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) in Gokarna. We counseled the spinal-injured victims from the earthquake in Jorpati’s Nepal Orthopedic Hospital.

   

As every human has the right to live, love, marry, and reproduce, there is no valid reason why the differently-abled should be deprived of these rights. There should be no hindrance in their path of love, marriage, and family building. It is high time we, as a society, provide them helping hands.

We have long way to go in developing disabled-friendly infrastructures: public toilets, hospitals, educational institutions, office buildings, recreational and entertainment facilities, historical monuments, temples and pagodas. Inauguration of Khagendra Disabled-Accessible Road in Jorpati on 8th September 2015 proves that we can do it.

Differently-abled can not only stand on their own, but also are capable of leading the entire society, if given the right opportunities. Stephan Hawking—one of the greatest scientists and physicists of the 21^st century—is a living legend, despite being physically-challenged and bound to wheel-chair. Jhamak Ghimire—born victim of cerebral palsy—has inspired the world through her literary writings.

Efforts at individual and organization levels have been and will remain crucial in rehabilitating and integrating the physically-challenged with the society. But the state must lead the effort by systematically studying the issue, formulating related policies, promulgating acts, and developing specialized institutes and public facilities for the differently-abled.

(The author is advisor to the Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association (NSCISA) and Spinal Cord Injury Network)

HUMAN HEALTH IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION IN KATHMANDU VALLEY

Something In The Air
(Published in The Kathmandu Post, September 25, 2015)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

Air pollution’s human-health impact can be detrimental and irreversible, whether the pollution is sourced to industrial accident or normal operation.

Obviously, industrial accidents can have devastating health effects. In what is considered as the world's worst industrial disaster, Bhopal’s methyl-isocyanate gas leakage in 1984 killed over 8000 and injured over 500,000. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s catastrophic  accident  in 1986 released radioactive particles into much of Europe’s atmosphere with eventual death toll of 4000 and radiation exposure to 586,000. Even the high-tech country’s residents are not immune. Fukushima nuclear disaster of Japan in 2011 took the lives of 1232 and is feared to cause cancer to thousands.  

The effects can be no less even if the industries purport to operate normally. Donora Pennsylvania’s 43% of the total population became ill and 20 died in 1948 due to excess of sulphurdioxide and particulate matter in the ambient air. In London, thick fog and temperature inversion killed 4000 in 1952. King's College reported that 9,500 Londoners had their lives shortened by air pollution in 2010, accounting for a fifth of all deaths in the city that year. The effect was deadlier where traffic was heaviest. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, air pollution killed 4,655 people in 2011, contributing to over twice as many deaths that year than both AIDS (874) and breast cancer (1,277) combined. Quite recently in September 8, 2015 an unseasonal suffocating sandstorm hit Lebanon leading to 5 deaths and 750 cases of asphyxiation (shortness of breath).

Throughout the world, hundreds of such incidents with alarming levels of air pollution are compromising human health. Almost a decade ago, WHO had estimated that annually about 3 million die prematurely due to air-pollution-induced health complications, out of which 30% die due to lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases; and out of these, 150,000 deaths reportedly occur in south Asia alone. In a new report, WHO estimates annual air-pollution related death at 7 million, comprising one in eight of total global deaths. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health disaster.

The susceptibility of lung cancer—the primary culprit tied with air pollution —is higher in non-smokers. Fine particles inhaled from polluted air injure the lungs through inflammation and damage DNA. A recent research by Harvard School of Public Health reveals that non-smokers living in highly air-polluted areas are roughly 20% more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live with cleaner air.

Alarming Scenario

The people of Kathmandu are no exception. Health impacts of air pollution depend mainly upon type and concentration of pollutant, exposure duration, and age and health condition of a person.

Probably in first comprehensive study of its kind, World Bank had published health impacts of PM10 (annual average concentration of particulates of size 10 micron or smaller) in Kathmandu. It estimated 84 excess mortality, about 19,000 cases of asthma, and hundreds of cases of bronchitis and other health-related disorders due to the air pollution.

Sickening Agents

Clean Energy Nepal had investigated the trend of air-pollution related diseases in the valley by analyzing data of in-patents admitted over the previous 10 years in Kathmandu’s 3 largest public hospitals, namely, Bir Hospital, Teaching Hospital, and Patan Hospital. The results indicated that, in average, number of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients nearly doubled over past decade, with an increase by about 30 to 50% in winter season, which is explained by the thermal inversion phenomenon in the cup shaped Kathmandu exacerbating the air pollution problems during winter.

Further, case studies on child labours and traffic police exposed to vehicular pollution, and on children and adults living in the vicinity of brick kilns indicated that large proportion of those individuals exposed to air pollution had remarkably high degree of air-pollution-related health disorders such as bronchitis, asthma and COPD. 

The pollutants believed to be dangerous to human health in KTM valley, apart from PM10, are namely sulphurdioxide, nitrogendioxide and carbonmonoxide —all emitted by vehicles and industries. Arguably, the vehicular emission is the biggest culprit, without the reduction of which the toxicity and the carcinogens in the ambient air of Kathmandu will ever increase. Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) are extremely dangerous to human health causing shortness of breath, wheezing, asthma attack and chest pain which can even lead to heart attack; and the worst thing is they react with the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the presence of sunlight to produce tropospheric ozone the so-called ‘bad ozone’ which is the major ingredient of photochemical smog—one of the most dangerous air pollutants.

Breathworthy Kathmandu

None of 3.5 million Kathmanduties is immune to air-pollution-induced health hazards. With ever increasing numbers of vehicles and factories in the valley, the breathing exercise is getting only more hazardous.

Having diagnosed the cause, in theory, the underlying solution is simple. Ban all sub-standard vehicles, substandard fuels, and polluting factories in the valley. Promote environment-friendly mass transports with efficient engines that consume less fuel, or operate on electric or solar power. Plant more trees that absorb carbon emissions. Monitor the pollution level daily, to measure the progress. And if need be, implement air pollution control technologies—in which the harmful pollutants are converted to harmless or less objectionable forms—through mechanisms such as absorption, combustion, condensation and chemical treatment with the use of cyclones, electrostatic precipitators, filters and scrubbers.   

To make the valley breathworthy, all of us can and must contribute to that end. General public, industries, NGOs, INGOs, media, watchdogs, and the State. Obviously, those who are at higher hierarchy in the pyramid must be prepared to discharge proportionally heavier duties.

(The author is an Environmental Engineer with Specialization in Air Pollution from the National University of Singapore)  

A TRIBUTE TO THE ANCIENT SEERS

A Tribute To The Ancient Seers
(Published in The Rising Nepal Friday Supplement, September 25, 2015)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

There would not be a matter of greater pride than to know that the greatest French Enlightenment author, critic, essayist, historian and one of the greatest thinkers and philosophers of Modern time Francois Voltaire making proclamation – “Everything has come down to us from the bank of the Ganga.”; “2500 years ago Pythagoras had gone to the Ganga from the Samos Island of Greece to learn geometry.”; “The Veda was the most precious gift for which the West has ever been indebted to the East.” 

           

These prideful statements appreciating Eastern civilization appear in a world-acclaimed book titled ‘Great Minds on India’ written by Shillong-based scholar and researcher Salil Gewali, and edited by Houston based eminent NASA scientist Dr AV Murali.

A freelance writer, journalist and editor since 1980, and a member of International Organization of Journalists, Salil Gewali has already authored 17 books including text books for the schools of Meghalaya. ‘Great Minds on India’ is the author’s unique research work of nearly two and a half decades. Globally acknowledged as one of its kind ever published, the book attempts to showcase how the world-renowned intellectual luminaries have thought about the ancient Eastern civilization and the fathomless classical literature. The book provides how the wisdom of Indian subcontinent inspired ‘the greatest of the great’ scientists, thinkers, writers, poets, such as Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg (co-founder of Quantum Physics), T. S. Eliot, Voltaire, Friedrich Hegel, Ralph Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Johann Goethe, HG Wells, Herman Hesse, Mark Twain, Bernard Shaw, Erwin Schrodinger (father of Quantum Mechanics), Heinrich Zimmer (Professor of Sanskrit at Heidelberg University), Sir William Jones (Translator of Sanskrit drama Shakuntala), and many more. The book, which has already been translated into 9 languages including Nepali, has earned worldwide appreciation.

We all know that what made Albert Einstein one of the wisest geniuses the world has ever seen is his ground-breaking ‘Theory of Relativity’. But how many of us are aware that this father of Modern Science had made a serious confession - “We owe a lot to the East, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.” Salil Gewali’s masterpiece holds out such proud revelations by world’s top intellectual giants and celebrated thinkers.

It was a great astonishment for me personally to know from this landmark book that one of my favorite poets T. S. Eliot was greatly inspired by our ancient Upanishads and Patanjali Sutra and he also learnt Sanskrit. A renowned USA scholar Dick Teresi writes in his masterpiece ‘Lost Discoveries’ -"Twenty-four centuries before Isaac Newton, the Hindu Scripture asserted that gravitation held the universe together. The Sanskrit speaking Aryans subscribed to the idea of a spherical earth in an era when the Greeks believed in a flat one.” The book  also illustrates how the father of Atomic Bomb, Julius Robert Oppenheimer got immersed into the treasure trove of oriental wisdom who had gone to the extent of proclaiming- "What we shall find in  Modern Physics  is an exemplification, an encouragement and  a refinement of old Eastern wisdom."

Salil, a die-hard lover of Eastern virtues, strongly felt then, these western scientists would not have applauded and approved of those ancient wisdom and knowledged of the East, had there not been any scientific validity and significance. He gradually got to know that scientists like Erwin Schrodinger, Neils Bohr, Julius Oppenheimer, David Bohm, Heisenberg, David Josephson, Werner Heisenberg had sufficiently got the ideas relative to Quantum Physics from Upanishads and Vedas. It dawned upon Mr Gewali that the ancient treatises had greatly emboldened those scientists to plunge deeper into the atom, moreover into the inner core of the Quantum Mechanics. All these consequently strengthened his conviction about the infallibility of ancient literary wisdom. While the East has specialized in understanding and transforming the Interior world, the West has excelled at investigating and manipulating the Exterior world.

And I myself being acquainted with S&T over the past 3 decades, little had I realized the wonders of Eastern philosophy and civilization, the immense knowledge and endless wisdom our Scriptures held for the scientific inventions and breakthroughs by ‘the wisest of the wise’ in the West. Reading this amazing book was like bathing in the holy Ganga the wisdom par excellence empowering myself with the supernatural power of the Bhagawata Geeta. I was shaken up emotionally and awakened to recognize my true identity and strength with an overwhelming feeling for eastern treasure of knowledge. As if it were an immense enlightenment in my life - I was entering into a spiritual immortal world of eternal wisdom leaving far far behind the superficial perishable materialistic world.

This fantastic book serves a beacon of great light even to the educated derelicts who seem to have lost faith in the ancient values and virtues. It offers ambrosia of divinity to cleanse our notorious ego. The readers get easily captivated and enchanted by the songs of Hinduism and the Hindu Scriptures sung in the book. Hinduism has been regarded as eternal religion embracing all others. The endearing eleventh President of India and eminent scientist Dr. Abdul Kalam regards Vedas as the oldest classics and the most precious treasures of the East. Great philosopher, poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore was highly inspired by the Upanishads and the works of the greatest Sanskrit poet Kalidas while writing his ‘Geetanjalee’. Mahatma Gandhi, whose works and lifestyles inspired many great scholars, statesmen, scientists and diplomats of the modern age, also admitted the Bhagawata Geeta as a boundless ocean of priceless gems. The renowned Nepali writer and great scholar Madan Mani Dixit has proclaimed in his recently released book ‘Ananta Chaitnaya’ (‘Infinite Consciousness’/‘Eternal Dynamism’) that the first scientists of the world were Maharshi Yagyawalka, Uddhalak Aruni and Shwetaketu, the scholars of ancient eastern civilization. Even VS Naipaul- the renowned author of ‘A Wounded Civilization’ and Carl Sagan- the prolific author of the world famous book ‘Cosmos’ admit Hinduism as the noblest of all.  

Gewali has completed his share of work by presenting us the monumental book. But it has left behind for the society the Herculean task of re-discovering the lost values and reorienting ourselves, without which the great pearl of profound wisdom cannot be woven into a necklace for mankind.

When the West could make breakthroughs from the knowledge derived from our ancient scriptures, then why are such virtues being underestimated in our own soil?

It is great to see the Westerners practicing yoga, and meditation, chanting ohm, and awakened to the higher importance of the Vedic knowledge and spiritualism. But sitting on the epicenter of those ancient heritages, why have we lost faith in our own virtues, and why do we hesitate to stand on its foundation? Why have we been ignoring, underestimating and devaluating the ancient Eastern philosophy and heritage in our own soil? Why do we hesitate to embrace an education system that enlightens our children with the eternal truth of our ancient scriptures? Instead of translating the rich virtues into the field of creation and productivity by ourselves, why do we have to wait for the West to so?

Unless we receive the wakeup now and respond to it, a day might not be that far, when we have to send our children to the Western schools to “learn” the meaning and value of our lost civilization. And that’s surely not the way we wish to pay our highest tribute to the ancient seers.

(Sandhya Regmi is a freelance writer and researcher.) 

POST-DEVASTATION CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEPALESE ENGINEERS

Post-Devastation Challenges & Opportunities for Nepalese Engineers 
(Published in The Republica, June 9, 2015)

                                                                                           Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

(The author is an Environmental and Safety Engineer)

Prima facie, the massive destruction of buildings and structures by the recent great earthquakes in Nepal seems indiscriminate: flattening alike God’s temples, nation’s heritages, president’s palace, commercial buildings, children’s schools, infrastructure lifelines, and private-residential houses. On facts, far from acting indiscriminately, the destruction pattern and extent had strictly followed the laws of nature—destroying only those structures that had flouted the well-understood principles of natural science. All the destroyed structures had either outlived their permitted life-span, or had had inherent defects.

These destructions bear the hallmark of our failure to honour those fundamental principles. Gross negligence in applying the basic principles of natural science in constructing, operating, and maintaining those structures. Failure of the state, and of the non-state actors in formulating adequate policies and codes on earthquake resistant structures, and in enacting and implementing them accordingly.

Good news is that we have just learnt our lesson, though the hard way. Suddenly, we have started realizing the needs for sound structures constructed on strong foundations, and planned urbanization with wide roads and open spaces. This new-found enlightenment has, for the nation rebuilding, opened floodgate of opportunities and challenges, among others, for those who are, or strive to be, the masters in the applied field of natural science.

Among them, our engineers are positioned in the front line to deal with the aftermath of the devastation. Specifically, civil engineers have found themselves in high demand, particularly, those who have expertise in structural, geotechnical, and earthquake engineering.

In this nation-rebuilding mission, engineers are not the sole players, yet their role is central in reshaping the society. The profession is entrusted with providing safe and comfortable buildings and physical infrastructures for the society to live comfortable life and to prosper. Yet their failure to adequately apply the law of natural science may lead to another catastrophe in future.       

This raises question on whether our engineers are geared up to take the new challenges and to inspire and lead the society to the new frontier. Is the pool of our engineering resources sufficient and capable to meet the demand and aspiration of the society?

On quantity, out of 16,000 engineers registered with Nepal Engineers Association (NEA), many are working overseas—who may not be readily available for the nation rebuilding. Among the available engineers, structural engineers reportedly number around 400, and geotechnical engineers constitute a fraction of that number. By any standard, these figures are far from being adequate to meet the present national demand.

On the positive side, there should be no real issue on the capability of our engineers. They are among the country’s best brains. It is no secret that Nepal’s brightest students have historically opted for the engineering field. And that trend has not reversed to date, despite some noticeable variations. Unlike in some other countries, our society views civil engineers with high regards.  

But all is not well. How many of our engineers have got the opportunities for adequate training and experience in designing, constructing, retrofitting, maintaining, supervising, and inspecting the earthquake-resistant structures and their foundations? How often have they got the opportunity to apply those skills into practice?  And how often are they compelled to ignore one or more of the basic design steps: subsoil investigation, loading tests, foundation design, and structural calculation?

That’s not all. Have all ‘experts’ gained self-confidence in the profession from the quality of their expertise, or merely from their function and position? And how often do they play the role of self-appointed ‘expert’, drifting into field of expertise other than their own despite their lack of specific knowledge. A case in point: an architect or a structural engineer purporting to act as, or undermining the role of, a geotechnical engineer.

These issues touch the core of the profession. If we are to tackle them, we all have our role to play.  

Our engineers should not be afraid to take the emerging challenges. They should upgrade, and reinforce their skill and knowledge, and should not hesitate to involve themselves into life-long learning process—updating themselves on applications of new theories, practices, and technologies, and applying them into practice.

Academic institutes should focus in creating competent engineers. Besides hiring qualified faculties, furnishing adequate facilities and designing adaptable courses, the institutes should also ensure that only capable students get admitted. Faculties should be encouraged to conduct quality research by providing essential resources and opportunities, and by making necessary tie up with private sector and reputed foreign institutes.

NEA has a central role to play in the professional and ethical development. It should be proactive in advising and assisting the government in formulating policies, and in drafting codes and standards. NEA should create wide opportunities for interactions among the practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders. This may be done by publishing quality researches, and by organizing seminars, workshops, and conferences, both at national and international level. 

The state has the longest to-do list. It must formulate and codify relevant policies, enhance institutional capabilities of its machineries, and objectively regulate the system. Steps should include introducing mandatory exam-based licensing system, establishing an independent institution to regulate the system, and imposing specific license requirement for specific type and class of work. To reverse the brain drain, the state should encourage the overseas Nepalese engineers to return, by creating for them at home the opportunity they deserve.

The state should extend the scope of Dr. Govinda KC’s medical-mafia doctrine in regulating the functions of private (and government) engineering institutions. And finally, the state must ensure that the engineering education is accessible and affordable to the best and the brightest students across the country.

(The author is an Environmental and Safety Engineer)

LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKES

Lessons Learnt
From The Devastating Earthquakes
(The Next Move)
Published in The Kathmandu Post, June 7, 2015)

                                                                                            Sandhya Regmi

sandhyaregmi2000@gmail.com         

The devastating earthquakes of 25^th April and 12^th May and its continuing aftershocks—that destroyed the fabric of the nation by killing and injuring tens of thousands, traumatizing millions, destroying property worth billions—was unavoidable. But its consequences were, only if we were prepared for it. And to the extent we were prepared for it.

The earthquake has stark-naked our ill preparedness. This, despite our knowledge that an unscheduled visit by the unwelcome guest was unavoidable, and despite the decades-long drum-beats on the preparation from the state machineries and non-state persons. At the state level, requirement to draft stringent building codes and their enforcement remained not far placed from the fairy tale. The concept of alternative international airports and other transport routes and systems remained far-fetched dreams. But why was even the country’s only air-entry point repeatedly shut down, when its service was badly wanted? Wasn’t it too built to the standard? How about residences’ whereabouts, didn’t the state even consider it necessary to maintain residence-log that could have helped find the number of missing victims? Even at heart of the capital, the state’s mass-communication system failed its robustness test, at the time when people needed it most. In absence of the state-communication, people in the camp were compelled to rely on rumors.

The quake has served to warn our politicians, planners, rule-makers, and rulers that, the necessity of the country’s physical infrastructures and their standard must stand taller than the usually professed internal-rate-of-return doctrine. The state needs to freshly work on the requirements and standards of additional international and national level airports, road transports, including their feasible implementation scheme and schedule. Similarly, the country needs fresh review on its building codes and implementation scheme for each class of building structure: airport infrastructure, hospital, national heritage, school, public building, commercial building, and residential building.

The consequences of the ugly guest’s nasty acts have compelled to put ourselves to trial on the stage of our civilization. Far from indulging into lootings and vandalism, the quake affected people themselves helped each other, from bare-hand-scratching of rubbles and sharing their tent-and-food to providing security to themselves. In the aftermath,  people from across the country unified as one—regardless of their geographical location, cast, class, colour, or religion—standing taller than the artificial divides devised by the politicians. In the same basket, the event has offered our politicians an opportunity to introspect worthwhileness of their dragging the country for years in the name of federating the state to their likes.

The earthquake has provided an opportunity to hold the best-placed organization and the best way forward to deal with such aftermaths. Without pausing a second, the first-order salute goes to the heroes of our  national army and police force who, for the search and rescue operation, worked days-and-nights sacrificing their own life. The instant responses from our neighboring states, and the helps and solidarity poured from across the world bears on us an insight to prepare ourselves to respond in the event of future mega-disasters, both inside and outside the state boundary. This calls for our national army to align and focus more on joint-search-rescue drills with the state-security forces of our neighboring countries. For, at the time of such disasters, we will need their help, and their people will need ours.

Similarly, the country needs a standing centralized body capable of efficiently handling and coordinating in such emergency situations. The body should be capable of estimating the nature and degree of assistance needed at each specific location to cope with specific disaster situation, and capable of coordinating and negotiating the requirements with non-state organizations and agencies operating inside and outside the country. Such arrangement would help pinpoint the precise requirements in the mind of perspective donors, help reduce duplication, redundancy, and wastage of resources, and would serve the core purpose at the quickest possible time.

Despite its mighty act, this black disaster has failed to fail us, for we may have fallen down but not yet out. Arguably, the most beautiful sight out of the rubble is the light radiating out of the survivors’ face. Their refusal to be defeated. Their spirit to be alive. Their determination to stitch the broken hearts, to re-work on the shattered dreams, and to move forward. Their energy to reconstitute and rebuild their homes, schools, and the country.

But in fueling that rebuilding task, they would need helping hands. The state has acknowledged and 127 nations’ solidarity has testified that. To assist in the rebuilding process, several donors have already raised their hands, while others are in the process. But there is an apparent confusion or uneasiness between the state and the donor agencies on the channel and mechanism to streamline the assistance. The government must show statesmanship by working seriously to find ways that are consistent with the national interest, and are transparent and accountable, yet flexible enough for sides to be part of the process.  

This is a great chance for everyone to participate in the nation-rebuilding process. A change for leaders from all walks of life: individuals, students, professionals, business houses, and non-profit organizations; medical leaders like Dr. Govinda KC and Dr. Bhagawan Koirala, professional writers like Professor Abhi Subedi. Yet the country’s politicians are best positioned to tap the opportunity, for people have given them the duty and power to lead the nation. So, it is the golden opportunity for the politicians to bury their differences and to work unitedly, and secure their place in the glorious history of the nation building. Yet they have another choice. They may opt for abusing and misusing the situation and focus on fulfilling their vested interests. But they must not forget that people too will have their choice.   

( Regmi is a Freelance Writer & a Researcher)