Monsoon Kathmandu

The Monsoon persists. Last night, torrential rain thundered booming groans, while violet white lightning momentarily illuminated the sodden city. Car horns blare as drivers navigate the narrow, rain-washed streets. Since 1990 the city's and the valley's population has doubled. The capital embodies the classic centre-periphery model of development. All economic, political and administrative power is located here. All decisions regarding the appropriation, distribution, and realisation of surpuses generated by production in the periphery (read: Nepal's rural areas of the Terai and the Hills) are made in Kathmandu. Outside of a very nascent energy sector (hydro-power to tap Nepal's immense water resources), most development is urban-biased. The gulf between the Kathmandy valley and the subsistence economy of rural Nepal is similar to that between the Global North and the Global South. Only the degree differs. So people migrate here, forced from the land by poverty, or by the human rights abuses perpetrated by the army, police, and Maoists during the ten year insurgency. Meanwhile, military patrols roam the city, blue black and green fatigue. Gun emplacements nestling behind sandbags complete the miltarization of urban space. That and the 3 bombs that exploded two weeks ago in 3 locations on the city outskirts - a reminder that, although the Maoists have ceased fire and joined the interim government, the Madhesis (people of the Terai region)continue to agitate against their historic (economic, political and cultural) marginalisation.

Of course, as some of the photos on this blog attest, there is still much to enjoy in this place. Looking out over the temples of Durbar square, the foothills of the Himalayas stretch into the distance. On a clear day snow peaks tower behind the hills, and the hilltop monkey temple gleams white amongst the green forest. Temple bells ring across Hanuman Dhoka. Trees entwine with temples. Every morning in Basantapur square, the chai wallahs brew hot sweet milky tea, and cook fresh aloo paratha (fried potato-filled chapatis). The locals squat on the walls and sip their steaming chai.