Police arrested four people from different parts of Kathmandu with 61 kg of hashish on Friday.
A press statement issued by Narcotic Drug Control Law Enforcement Unit on Sunday said that police arrested Gauri Lal Tamang, Raj Kumar Lama and Krishna Bahadur Lama of Dhading from Dhungeadda of Kathmandu along with 50 kilograms of hashish on Friday.
Likewise, police also arrested Umesh Moktan with 11 kilograms of hashish from Bijeshowari of Kathmandu on the same day.
The Narcotic Drug Control Law Enforcement Unit New Baneshwore is investigating the case.
Security forces defused explosives planted by the Maoists in Chabahil, Kathmandu, and Pokhara Sub-metropolitan City Sunday.
A statement issued by the Defence Ministry today said the security forces defused a pressure cooker bomb planted by the Maoists at a Ward Office of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City at Jayabageshwori this afternoon.
Similarly, two bombs set ready for explosion at Hengja Milan Chowk in Pokhara Sub-metropolitan City, Kaski district, were defused by the security forces this afternoon.
The rebels had stormed two police offices in the Kathmandu Valley, killing 12 policemen and injuring several others Saturday evening.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday said it has launched investigation into the incidents at Thankot, Kathmandu, and Dadhikot, Bhaktapur, to find out whether human rights norms and international humanitarian law were observed.
A statement issued by the commission said that in the course of the investigation/monitoring, an NHRC team carried out inspection in the incident sites and learned from local eyewitnesses, injured persons and the security officials, about the incidents.
11 policemen including an inspector were killed in a sudden Maoist raid on a security check post at Thankot, one of the main entry points to Kathmandu, last evening. Similarly, one policeman was killed and half a dozen others including a civilian were injured in a similar attack at Dadhikot Ilaka Police Post in Bhaktapur.
The NHRC monitoring team comprised of two members – Sudeep Pathak and Gokul Pokhrel – and other officers.
Saying that the Maoists are learnt to have abducted a police constable, Bikram Kalika, after attack on Dadhikot Police Post, the rights watchdog urged the CPN (Maoist) to release him immediately and without condition.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Kamal Thapa inspected Thankot security check post and inquired about the incident with police officials, reports said.
At least 31 people have died due to winter chill in mid-Terai districts till Sunday afternoon.
Five persons succumbed to cold wave in Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts today, reports said. Two persons died in Dohari VDC of Bara while two others died in Parsa, one each in Mahadevpura and Bhikhampatti VDCs.
Similarly, one death was reported in Hathimai VDC in Rautahat district.
Of the total 31 cold wave deaths, 17 have been reported in Rautahat, 8 in Parsa and 6 in Bara within last two weeks. Mostly children and the elderly have been affected by the freezing cold.
The Narayani Sub-regional Hospital in Birganj, Parsa, has said the number of cold wave-related patients, mainly with respiratory complications, headache and fever, is rising, reports added.
Armed Police Club (APF) thrashed Sankata Club (SC) 5-1, while Rani Pokhari Corner Team (RCT) held defending champions Nabil Three Star Club (NTSC) to a 1-1 tie and Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) held New Road Team (NRT) to another 1-1 tie in the ANFA Martyrs’ Memorial “A” Division League Football Tournament matches played today.
In the match played at Halchowk Stadium, Armed Police Club thrashed Sankata Club 5-1. Ajaya KC struck twice while Basanta Basnet, Man Sajan Bhandari and Mani Pundit got a goal each to rout Sankata. Raj Kumar KC scored a face saving goal for Sankata.
In the match played at Dashrath stadium, NRT scored first against NTSC with Ajit Thapa’s brilliant 30 yard long range goal. NTSC came back right away in the 22nd minute through Surendra Tamang’s goal.
The second half did not produce any results. Coach of RCT, Baiju Gopal, was satisfied with his boys. “They played an excellent game today and I am happy with them”. Despite the draw, NTSC is atop the table with 42 points, one ahead of Tribhuvan Army Club. Mahendra Police Club is third with 40 with two matches still to be played.
At the other game played at the stadium, NRT scored first with Sunil Subedi’s excellent goal. NRT’s premature celebration for their seventh consecutive win was put to an end when TAC skipper Janamat Karki scored an easy goal in the 78th minute with the NRT defense sleeping.
TAC is in second position with 41 points. while NRT is in sixth with 29 points.
By Kashish Das Shrestha in New York
Kashish Das Shrestha
In a recent article in Nepalnews, a few professionals talked about the safety and even economics of safety for young Nepali adults in the US. The article was triggered by and based on the unfortunate events of nine Nepali students dying in motor-vehicle accidents and a robbery in a span of about 4 weeks. While all of the consulted professionals- all of whom I respect but none of whom have been a young adult in the US for sometime- noted that Nepali students are somewhat reckless in their driving, and perhaps not oriented enough in the traffic rules of the US, and while the author noted that the government hasn’t taken any notice of it, none of them mentioned the fact that this problem is not Nepal specific. And it is perhaps in part the fault of the media who raised the question when there was none to ask.
First of all, did the Nepali students even die because of their own fault? Icy roads cause several fatal accidents in the US every winter, regardless of the drivers’ nationality. It just happened this time one of them was a Nepali studying in Alabama. In the Minnesota incident, the three Nepali students that died were passengers of the vehicle, not the driver. And the car that struck them was being driven by an 82-year- old man. The Texas accident too wasn’t the Nepali students’ fault. It seems the vehicle with four Nepali students was struck by another car attempting to overtake. And the Nepali student who was shot by two armed and jittery robbers clearly didn’t die because of being new to the American way of life.
So the question really isn’t if Nepali students are safe, but rather why the news of these students’ deaths has become such a big deal.
How long has it been since the Nepali diaspora in the US was well established with organized communal networks, and how long has it been before local media in Nepal started competing for news about “study abroad” or news related to the Nepali Diaspora? The answer is simple; not very long. It’s quite clear that the last 15 years has seen a drastic growth in Nepalis studying, working and living in the US. The last decade has in particular seen Nepali parents and students dream of “further education in the US.” The socio-political crisis in Nepal has also aided greatly to convince young Nepalis and their parents that leaving the country is, indeed, the wisest choice.
As the Nepali diaspora in the US grew in the 90s, so did the “virtual” or “online” Nepali communities, most of which were developed and filled by young Nepalis, particularly those who were, who have or was in the process of studying abroad.
I remember hearing news about Nepali gang fights in Nebraska in the early 1990s. Yes, Nepali gangs fighting with other Nepali gangs in Nebraska, just like the ones at home; khukuris and what not. I know for a fact that several young Nepalis have attempted and unsuccessfully robbed banks in Hong Kong in the mid ‘90s.
I know Nepali students in Russia used to get into gang fights with either Russian Gangs or sometimes Nepali Gangs, this too in the early 90s. But I don’t particularly remember these topics being discussed by adults, professionals (media or otherwise) or even Nepalis in general because back then news like these only travelled by word of mouth, when someone who knows someone you know or know about was involved in the incident. But can you imagine an all out gang fight amongst Nepali gangs in the US going unnoticed by the media radar? Even if the media radar missed it, the online Nepali community would surely be buzzing with a news item like that (although the smaller and more regular party brawls doesn’t draw any attention, or maybe the local news media in Nepal just haven’t picked up on it yet).
Because the Nepali community in the US is still growing and a significant portion of that community is built by Nepali students or young Nepali adults, it is not surprising to find them in the news; be it an unfortunate one such as a death in a car crash, or a fortunate one such as topping a business course in a New York college. The point is, since there are just so many young and curious Nepalis in the US now, and since the adult Nepali community is mostly tied down with a fixed lifestyle of family or a full time work, chances are it will be the young Nepalis that will make most news headlines, if any.
We must also keep in mind that there are deaths like these in other South Asian communities too, Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, to name a few. But those communities have been around for so long and their population is so large that the frequency of deaths, natural or otherwise, is high as well. But not necessarily because they are not well oriented in the ways of life here in the US.
Yes, I absolutely agree that Nepali students do tend to get carried away in their new found independence in a foreign country. I have myself seen many Nepali students imagining themselves to be the ultra hip characters they have seen on television as they roll up in their cars with bass thumping out of their windows. I have seen then drunk and driving, and getting into fights. But I have also seen that in just about every community I can think of. And it would not be justifiable to stereotype Nepali adults abroad into that fixed persona.
So are Nepali students safe in the US? Of course they are, just as safe as a student from any other country or the US itself. The accidents and deaths are unfortunate, but they are not specific only to Nepali Students or Nepali community. It’s just that now news items are better distributed than it used to be and students studying abroad is such a hot topic for the media. It is, after all, only when the media printed the news in front pages and the unfortunate coincidence of a series of deaths in a short span of time that has raised the incomplete question “Are Nepali Students in the US safe?”. This is not an epidemic, just a series of unfortunate incidents. At the risk of sounding cold, I have to ask the question: isn’t it natural that with more Nepalis of all ages living abroad, we should only expect that more Nepalis will be dying abroad, regardless of how and at what interval? The gravest devastation is perhaps the fact that the family cannot see the body before it is cremated. But is it riskier just because it happens outside of Nepal’s geographical boundaries? No it’s not. And certainly not because the young Nepalis in US are more careless than those who drive their own cars in Nepal.
(Former editor of WAVE magazine published from Lalitpur, Shrestha is currently the editor of Nepali Aawaz– a New York based bilingual fortnightly distributed across the US and parts of Canada. Please send your comments to [email protected])
(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected] and your comments/suggestions to [email protected])
Both sides in the conflict must see that democracy is now a right
NARESH NEWAR
Bad news is always not bad especially when it comes to publishing opportunities. Nepal has never been so well-known worldwide as today, when writing about the conflict has far overshadowed the books about sex workers and mountain adventures that used to dominate bookstores’ ‘Nepal’ sections.
Dozens of volumes have already been written about the Nepali Maoists, their leaders, history and ideologies but another new book on this issue is always an attraction. Dutch University scholar Bishnu Pathak had only planned to write the dissertation for his PhD but after researching and collating information for nearly seven years, he turned his work into a book. The result is one of the most comprehensive and exhaustively researched publications on the politics of the Maoist insurgency, with a heavy dose of discussion on human rights.
SHOW OF FORCE: The Maoists broughtin thousands of people for their ‘people’s democracy’ rally in Bhawang of Rukum on 10 December. Two weeks later, the army staged a health camp here.
What makes this book, Politics of People’s War and Human Rights in Nepal, stand out is the author’s inclusion of academic theories on the Maoist uprising and a presentation of western vs eastern perspectives on human rights. It comes at an opportune time as Maoist leaders are now transforming themselves from pure communist ideologists to politicians, as evident in their flexibility to accept political solutions ranging from one-party government to a multiparty system and in the willingness of Maoist leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Prachanda to work closely with the same political parties they once vowed to eliminate.
With its 472 pages, the book is a useful blow-by-blow account of the Maoists since before the ‘people’s war’ period. More interesting is its detailed study of how human rights concepts evolved from the 6th century Lichchabi period to today. Human rights is no longer limited to social reforms such as Rana leaders abolishing sati but has more direct links with democracy, argues Pathak, an assistant professor at TU where he is also establishing a department on conflict studies.
The author argues that what works in western liberal society might not succeed in eastern countries because of cultural and ideological differences. But the bottom line about human rights is that freedom from torture, detention, exploitation and the right to democracy and free speech are universal.
Pathak’s conclusion is that the ‘people’s war’ has ended up abusing the people it was meant to help. The state has been no better. While the Maoists made deliberate killings, abductions and extortion of food grains and money part of their modus operandi, the state answered with more extra-judicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests and torture. He also rebukes the international community for ignoring growing human rights abuses in Nepal. Only after 10 years and 12,000 lives lost and thousands more disappeared has the UN finally been allowed to get involved by the powers that be.
Pathak does jump to the wrong conclusion when he states that many people have started dying of hunger since the conflict began. Food deficit has always been a problem in certain parts of the country: the Maoists have not really made the situation worse. The poorest families have become the most productive farmers after the huge land holdings of exploitative landlords were redistributed among them. Other land has been seized by the rebels but farming continues no matter who owns it, with migrant Nepalis still returning from India to their villages for planting and harvesting. Land reform initiated by the Maoists has succeeded whereas those of previous governments failed.
The author concludes that there is no alternative but for the government, parties and Maoists to patch things and for all to agree to the latter’s demand for a constituent assembly, which is both a rights-based and the most democratic solution. Peace talks, he concludes, will never succeed as long as arms merchants traffickers and feudal elements, particularly the royal family and its supporters, profit from the conflict.
Courtesy : Nepali Times
(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected] and your comments/suggestions to [email protected])
The second round of government-Maoist talks concluded in the capital, reaching a four-point agreement on Thursday.
Members of the government-Maoist peace talks team speaking to the media about the outcome of the second round of talks at Hotel Himalaya, Thursday, June 15 06.
Members of the government-Maoist peace talks team speaking to the media about the outcome of the second round of talks at Hotel Himalaya, Thursday, June 15 06. nepalnews.com/rh
Members of the talks team of the government and the CPN (Maoist) told reporters after negotiations held at Hotel Himalaya, Lalitpur, that both sides have agreed to hold high-level talks between the head of the seven-party government and the top Maoist leadership very soon.
The high-level talks, which will also involve the leaders of the seven parties, will focus on the political issues including that of management of arms, they said.
Likewise, the government and the rebel side agreed to form a 31-member ‘ceasefire code of conduct monitoring team’ headed by Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, a civil society leader. As per the third point of the agreement, a five-member peace talks monitoring team would be formed comprising former Supreme Court Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal, former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana, rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar and civil society leaders Dr Devendra Raj Pandey and Dr Mathura Shrestha.
Similarly, the two sides also agreed to urge the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)-Nepal to monitor the human rights situation in Nepal during the talks process.
The talks that began at around 2:15 p.m. went for nearly two hours.
The government is issuing the ‘Finance Ordinance 2006′ to give continuity to the budget estimates made public in the beginning of the current fiscal year.
According to officials at the Finance Ministry, the new ordinance has revised customs tariffs.
According to reports, the government is going to decrease customs duty on the goods imported from abroad so as to control “under invoicing and smuggling” and effectively enforce Value Added Tax (VAT).
The Ministry is going to slash customs tariff in some 125 goods imported from third countries, according to reports.
However, most of the other provisions in the previous ordinance will remain unchanged.
Minister of state for Finance, Dr. Roop Jyoti, is to make public the Finance Ordinance Saturday afternoon, which will be carried live by the state-run media.
Maghe Sankranti, one of the main festivals of the Nepalis, is being observed throughout the country on Saturday.
It is customary to take holy dips at river confluences, perform worship at various shrines and take yam and ‘chaku’ as special food items on this occasion. Chaku is a sweet prepared from boiled and hardened molasses.
Hindus also observe this day as ‘makar sankranti’, as it marks the sun’s journey northwards.
The belief goes that eating such items as ghee and chaku, sesame seed candy, vegetables and yam and giving them away in charity on this day after taking a holy dip helps one become healthier.
Devotees take holy dips at Devghat, Dolalghat, Baraha Kshetra, Ridi, Triveni and other rivers across the country.
On the occasion, a fair is organised and the Dipankar Buddha worshipped at the Tilmadhav Narayan Temple in Taumadhitole of Bhaktapur.
Likewise, people from the Tharu community observe this festival as the Maghi Festival, one of the greatest festivals of Tharu community with great enthusiasm and celebrations. The day is also celebrated as New Year’s day in Tharu community.
A special delicacy called Khichidi or Maghi prepared by cooking a mixture of black lentil and rice is served on the occasion.