The government today wrote a letter to the United Madhesi Democratic Front (UMDF), an alliance of three agitating Madhesi parties, inviting it for formal talks on Terai issues.
Highlighting the need to conduct the historic constituent assembly election successfully, the letter signed by government’s talks coordinator and peace minister Ram Chandra Poudel asks the Front to agree to resolve all the problems though dialogue, it is learnt.
The government’s invitation for talks came as an indefinite general strike called by the UMDF continued to paralyse normal life across Terai region since yesterday.
The UMDF has also warned of a blockade in Terai if the government does not implement the 22-point agreement signed months earlier with the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, a constituent of the three-party alliance, and respond positively to its six new demands that include guarantee of an ‘autonomous Terai state’ with right to self-determination and proportional representation of Madhesis, Janajatis, Dalits and other marginalised groups in state organs including the Nepal Army.
Meanwhile, UMDF leaders have confirmed they have received the government’s letter.
Nepal F.M quoted Mahantha Thakur, a leader of the UMDF and the chairman of Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, as saying that the UNDF would respond to the government’s letter after internal discussion. nepalnews.com mk Feb 14 08
The high-level committee formed by the seven-party alliance to probe the clashes that took place during Nepali Congress election campaign in Darchula district and the subsequent raid on Young Communist League (YCL) valley office by the police – two incidents said to have increased bitterness among the seven-party alliance members – has appointed CPN-UML leader Shankar Pokharel as its convenor.
The decision to this end was taken at the committee’s meeting held on Thursday at the CPN-Maoist central office in Buddhanagar which is also the venue for the seven-party High-level Steering Committee.
Today’s meeting also decided to investigate the incidents by making field visits in both the places.
Similarly, it also decided to request the government for necessary assistance for the field visits. Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) Ram Babu Singh said the parties agreed that the views of both the parties involved in the Darchula incident would be taken, and the news about it appearing in various media would be closely studied. nepalnews.com ag Feb 14 08
The high-level committee formed by the seven-party alliance to probe the clashes that took place during Nepali Congress election campaign in Darchula district and the subsequent raid on Young Communist League (YCL) valley office by the police – two incidents said to have increased bitterness among the seven-party alliance members – has appointed CPN-UML leader Shankar Pokharel as its convenor.
The decision to this end was taken at the committee’s meeting held on Thursday at the CPN-Maoist central office in Buddhanagar which is also the venue for the seven-party High-level Steering Committee.
Today’s meeting also decided to investigate the incidents by making field visits in both the places.
Similarly, it also decided to request the government for necessary assistance for the field visits. Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) Ram Babu Singh said the parties agreed that the views of both the parties involved in the Darchula incident would be taken, and the news about it appearing in various media would be closely studied. nepalnews.com ag Feb 14 08
The second day of indefinite bandh (shutdown strike) called by the United Madhesi Democratic Front (UMDF) has affected normal life across Terai region.
Reports coming in say the East-West Mahendra Highway that traverses a number of eastern and central Terai districts has been virtually deserted while educational institutions and industries have stopped operation since yesterday.
Major Terai towns like Birgunj, Biratnagar, Rajbiraj, Itahari, Lahan, Kalaiya and Gaur remain closed due to the UMDF bandh imposed to pressure the government to implement the 22-point agreement signed months earlier with the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), a constituent of the UMDF.
The bandh has partially affected districts like Jhapa, Rupendhi, Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi and Banke.
The UNDF cadres organised protest rallies in several districts in the morning, but there were no reports of violence during these rallies.
The UMFD has also warned of a blockade if the government does not implement the 22-point agreement and respond positively to its six new demands that include guarantee of an ‘autonomous Terai state’ with right to self-determination and proportional representation of Madhesis, Janajatis, Dalits and other marginalised groups in state organs including the Nepal Army. nepalnews.com Feb 14 08
The government has decided to increase facilities being afforded to inmates of jails across the country.
The decision to this effect was made after making 12th amendment to Prison Regulations 2020 two days ago.
According to a release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government would from now on provide each prisoner with an additional 700 grams of ‘quality’ rice and Rs 45 as daily allowance. The prisoners used to get only Rs 30 as daily allowance in the past. Similarly, the prisoners would get Rs 300 as expenses for Dashai festival every year up from the existing Rs 100.
The government also decided to give 10 meters of clothing and Rs 1000 in cash to every women prisoners during pregnancy. The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has also disbursed Rs 83,000 to Department of Prison Management to provide facilities to women prisoners.
Similarly, pregnant prisoners would be provided with a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 each for nutrition, starting from the seventh month of pregnancy. Such prisoners will get Rs 2,000 after the delivery and an additional Rs 1,500 for the upbringing of the newborn. The Regulations also provide Rs 2,000 per year to each dependent child below three years of age. Likewise, each mentally retarded prisoners would be provided with medicines worth Rs 6,000 a year.
The government decided to make the amendment in Regulations, increasing the facilities and allowances after prisoners in many jailhouses across the country went on a hunger strike demanding better condition in the prison and increase in facilities. nepalnews.com ag Feb 14 08
The management of the Himalayan Broadcasting Company (HBC) has announced the closure of HBC FM radio from Wednesday.
A three-page notice pasted on the main gate of the radio station located at Arubari Boudha in Kathmandu said the FM station has been closed since the Ministry of Information and Communication has revoked the operating license in December 2006.
The notice signed by Gajendra Kumar Lama reads that if the management could revive the broadcast of the radio those already working with the FM will be given priority for recruitment.
Similarly, HBC Radio Workers’ Joint Struggle Committee (HBCRWSC) in a statement has denounced the decision of the management to close the radio station.
The HBCRWSC said the move was a conspiracy of the management against implementing the six-point agreements reached earlier with them and also a violation of norms of the Working Journalists Act. nepalnews.com ia Feb 14 08
Kathmandu Valley Drinking Water Limited has officially taken over the responsibility of carrying out water supply works in Kathmandu Valley from Sunday.
The responsibility to manage valley’s water supply was given to the firm established as per the public-private partnership concept following pressures from the Asian Development Bank and other donors to the government to handover the water distribution responsibility in Kathmandu valley to an autonomous body.
This was also the main precondition of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project.
The government has already handed over some assets and staff of Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) to Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board (KVWSMB) which has, in turn, transferred those assets to the Limited. Following the handover, NWSC would from now on continue its work in 23 municipal corporations outside the valley. nepalnews.com ag Feb 14 08
A former senior official of India’s Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) has said that the external intelligence agency is engaged in a blame-game with another similar Indian outfit, Intelligence Bureau (IB), when it comes to issues in areas bordering Nepal.
Talking to Navin Singh Khadka of BBC Nepali Service, S Chandrashekharan, a former senior RAW official, who was with the Indian embassy in Kathmandu in the late 70s until early 80s, said, “Actually this side of the border, RAW has nothing to do with all that. It is the IB, which is handling everything.”
But he conceded that the two intelligence agencies do engage in passing bucks. “I am sure RAW will say it is not our job. If you ask the IB, they will say RAW is responsible for the other side of the border,” he said, adding that such overlapping had been happening for many years.
Chandrashekharan who keeps coming to Kathmandu frequently and is a PhD on Nepal’s river systems, said that Indian government will not be willing to arrest and hand over insurgent leaders leading their movement in Terai from Indian soil.
“Those madhesi leaders are gaining sympathies increasingly in the Indian side. I don’t think anyone would arrest, say, Jwala Singh, because you will have to see the situation in India too.”
In the same programme, a Chinese scholar expressed concern over RAW activities in Nepal’s Terai.
“We already know about terai situation. There may be some elements trying to take advantage of weak government. There was an article in one of the mass media alleging role of India’s RAW. If that is true, it will worry us,” said Hu Shisheng, who heads the South Asia Study Centre under the China Institute for Contemporary Relations.
The RAW and IB activities and the Chinese scholar’s response expressing concern has come at a time when Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala has gone on record stating publicly that the problem in Terai can be solved in minutes with India’s help. nepalnews.com sd Feb 14 08
The government of India has provided a grant assistance of Rs 77 million for construction of the building of a school in Pokhara.
Counsellor of the Indian Embassy, Pranay Verma, laid the foundation stone of a new building of Nepal Bharat Maitri Vidyalaya (Nepal-India Friendship School) being constructed in the premises of the Pension Paying Office of Embassy of India in Pokhara on Tuesday.
With a view to provide quality education to the children of ex-servicemen, the Indian government established the school in July 2000, with the concurrence of Government of Nepal, in a temporary accommodation at Pokhara. There are over 122,000 ex-servicemen in Nepal.
Subsequently, the India and Nepal signed an agreement on August 24, 2006 for setting up a higher secondary school affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education of India to ensure consistency in educational pattern for the children of Nepalese ex-servicemen on their return from India to Nepal. Presently the school is holding classes from standard I to VIII and is likely to be upgraded to higher classes.
The Indian government has appointed a consultant/architect and would appoint a contractor for implementation of the project. A Project Monitoring Committee will be constituted for monitoring the progress of construction to ensure its timely and effective implementation, a release issued by the Indian embassy said. nepalnews.com mk Feb 13 08
Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), an international media watchdog, has said that Nepali journalists regained freedom after the overthrow of the direct rule of King Gyanendra, but not their safety.
In its annual press freedom report published on Wednesday, RSF said journalists, particularly correspondents for national media, who were accused of being in cahoots with the ‘powerful in the capital’, lived through hell during the violence that erupted in Terai last year.
Around 100 of them were physically assaulted, threatened or forced to flee after being threatened by Madhesi militants who grew ever more radical. A dozen reporters left Parsa, Bara and Rautahat districts, in fear of their lives.
Elsewhere, the Maoists blew hot and cold towards the press. After the Maoists pulled out of government in September, groups of trade unionists and young Maoists launched a campaign of threats against the media, RSF said, alleging that some Maoist leaders imposed a reign of fear, preventing journalists from working freely.
No fewer than 70 journalists were assaulted or threatened by different armed groups in the Terai between January and June last year, seeking either to silence them or force them to become spokespersons.
Rioters beat up three journalists and a photographer taking pictures in the streets of Morang district on January 29. The previous day, demonstrators destroyed the station of FM Birgunj and offices of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) in Birgunj.
RSF said the authorities proved incapable of protecting journalists. RSF identified Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, various factions of Janatantrik Terai mukti Morcha, Madhesi Tigers among others who posed threat to the lives of journalists working in the region.
RSF described the Maoist cadres as being ‘ruthless’ towards the press. During 2008, at least five journalists were kidnapped and two were killed– Birendra Shah and Prakash Thakuri. The trade unionists and young Maoists used different methods of harassing independent media, whom they accused of damaging them or defending the monarchy.
Maoist leaders acknowledged at a press conference on 5 November that their party cadres had abducted and murdered journalist Birendra Shah, 34, working with Nepal FM, Dristri Weekly and Avenues TV in Bara.
The National Republican Army said on July 8 that it had killed Prakash Thakuri, justifying his killing on the basis of his articles favourable to the king. However, his dead body is yet not found.
A third journalist killed during the year, Shankar Panthi, was however working for the pro-Maoist newspaper Naya Satta daily in Sunawal. Police who found his body on the roadside on September 14 initially believed that he was the victim of an accident, his bicycle having apparently been struck by a car. But following protests from his family and the Association of Revolutionary Journalists, police accepted that his death had not been an accident.
Maoists kidnapped at least three other journalists including in October a reporter on Mahakali FM, Pappu Gurung, who was held captive for three days in Dodhara, western Nepal along with his wife. Gurung said his captors threatened him with reprisals if he did not give up his profession.
RSF said that Maoists’ return to the government has given rise to fresh hope for a more peaceful year in 2008. nepalnews.com ia Feb 13 08