Maoists Kidnap Family Members, Torch House
A group of people led by local Maoist leader Badri Bajgain, on Sunday (Feb 18), kidnapped all the family members of Nanibabu Karki and set his house on fire, accusing the family members of murdering Nabaraj Bajgain, nephew of Badri, nearly two and a half months ago, police said. According to Mahesh Shah, deputy superintendent of police at Metropolitan Police Circle , Bouddha, family members of Karki had just entered the house after being acquitted by the District Court, Kathmandu , on Sunday, when the group kidnapped them. “As Laxmi Karki, daughter of Nanibabu, and Nabaraj, both students of KIST college, were in love before Nabaraj committed suicide, Bajgain families were blaming Karki’s family of murdering Nabaraj,” a police official said. The police said the Maoists kidnapped all the four members of the family from the house in the evening. “When we reached the post, locals didn’t cooperate with us due to fear of the Maoists and we had to return,” a police officer said. The police reached the house again with additional force as the people led by Badri returned to the house to set it on fire, the police official said. The police official said that the group of people took out all the goods and logistics from the house and torched them. They torched a motorcycle also. The police have taken five persons in custody for interrogation, the police official added. The Himalayan Times daily reports
Team Formed To Probe Incident Of Stone-Pelting At King’s Motorcade
Expressing regrets over the incident, the Home Ministry has formed a three-member team to probe the incident of stone-pelting at the King’s motorcade on Friday (Feb 16) on the occasion of Mahashivaratri. The led by Pratap Kumar Pathak, joint secretary at the Home Ministry, will have to present its report within a week. Other members of the team include Deputy Inspector General of police Rabi Shrestha and Basanta Kumar Rai, senior superintendent at National Investigation Department. The Ministry, in its statement, has said that the incident which occurred on the occasion of Mahashivaratri festival at Pashupatinath temple was unfortunate and could even affect the religious harmony. Therefore, it said, the team was formed to bring out the truth. On Friday evening, unidentified persons had pelted stones at the King’s motorcade when he was returning from the temple. The bumper of the King’s car was slightly damaged in the incident. The groups threw stones at the motorcade injuring a police man. Scores of security personnel rushed to provide cover to the King’s motorcade as it made its way through the crowded area. The King who came alone to the temple on the occasion of Mahashivaratri spent one and a half hour in worship in the temple premises. There were people chanting pro and anti King slogans at various areas of the temple vicinity. When the King returned at around 8 pm , some groups started pelting stones at his car causing slight damage in its bumper. In previous years, the King used to visit the temple accompanied by the Queen and other members of royal family to the Pashupatinath temple. This year, however, he was alone. Compiled from reports
Hindu Activists Stage Rally
Hundreds of activists of various Hindu organizations took part in a rally staged at the capital city on Saturday (Feb 17). Led by World Hindu Federation, the activists chanted slogans demanding the restoration of Hindu Kingdom with constitutional monarch. They also raised slogans demanding protection to cow. Organizations like Shiva Sena Nepal and Nepal Independent Youth Society participated in the rally, which was also attended by Sadhus. They said that by abandoning its Hindu ethos – which they claimed had never affected religious and cultural harmony in the county - Nepal was heading towards immoral and dangerous future. Compiled from reports
King Tarnished Monarchy Image: Survey
A survey carried out by Annapurna Post daily has found out that the last five years of King Gyanendra have seriously damaged the 237-year-old institution of monarchy. The survey was conducted nationwide with the sample size of 9629 respondents – possibly the largest ever survey of such kind in Nepal . Poll was carried out in 96 VDCs and 12 municipalities in 57 districts. Among the respondents, 50 percent were male and 50 percent female; 23 percent were from cities and 77 percent from villages; 29 percent were illiterate and 71 percent were literate. The figures show a division in the poll regarding King and monarchy. The respondents saying that King Gyanendra was not the incarnation of lord Bishnu stood at 52 percent as against 40 percent who thought he was an incarnation of the lord. In a one-to-one comparison, respondents were asked if King Birendra was Lord Bishnu’s avatar. Out of 3787 respondents, 97 percent considered late King Birendra as the incarnation of Bishnu. This clearly implies that the institution of monarchy has been badly shaken by King Gyanendra whose personality and actions have impacted the institution rather than it being a reflection of the King as a person. Among the respondents – illiterate (26 percent), literate (51 percent), those passing school education (64 percent) and those acquiring higher education (77 percent) said King Gyanendra was not the incarnation of lord Bishnu. On another question, the number of respondents saying that the King was a symbol of national unity stood at 41 percent with those saying the King was not a symbol of national unity at 39 percent. Similarly, the number of respondents favoring monarchy as an institution stood at 49 percent with those opposing 44 percent. According to the survey, the view of not favoring the King increased as the level of education went up. As many as 24 percent of illiterate respondents and 43 percent of literate respondents did not support the King. Interestingly, not only level of education but location also made a difference. The results show that the monarchy was relatively more popular with the people of Terai origin than with the people of hilly origin. However, Terai has one-third of total population of the nation. The Himalayan Times daily reports
Home Minister Apologizes For Terai Incident
Speaking at the parliament on Thursday (Feb 15), Home Minister Krishna Sitaula expressed his sincere apologies for whatever “mistakes and weaknesses” made on his part during the recent Terai unrest. Sitaula said he wants to apologize to the people of Nepal through the parliament for mistakes he has committed in course of carrying out his duties. His apology has come in the wake of growing demands for his resignation. Meanwhile, reacting to his apologies, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has said it is not enough.
Upendra Yadav, president of MJF, said apologies were not enough. “Mere apologies will not suffice. He has to resign. Only then we will sit for talks,” said Yadav, speaking at a program organized in Biratnagar on Thursday. The MJF has, on February 8, given ten-day ultimatum to the government to create conducive environment for talks. They have warned to intensify agitation if Sitaula does not resign. Leading dailies report
Maoist Armed Guards Stopped
The security personnel posted at the gate of Singh Durbar on Thursday (Feb 15) stopped two Maoist guards after they discovered that they were carrying weapons – ostensibly for the purpose of providing security to Maoist MPs Dev Gurung and Lokendra Bista. They were later released. The Maoists have claimed that the weapons were for the security of their leaders as per the agreement with the government. Leading dailies report
Serial Blasts In Birgunj
An unidentified gang triggered three blasts at different places, including the UML office in Birgunj on Thursday (Feb 15) evening. The bombs went off in the UML party office in Parsa district’s Ramgadhwa VDC, the district education office at Pragatinagar and Department of Drug Administration in the National Trading Building . The gang, which came on motorbikes, tossed two socket bombs on the education office compound at 7:30 pm, inspector at the district police office Prem Basnet said. The blasts occurred at an interval of 15 minutes. Subsequently, a hitherto unknown organization called Nepal Defense Army has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Leading dailies report
RJP Doubtful About Fairness Of CA Polls
Pointing at the recent spate of attacks by Maoist cadres against its workers and leaders, the Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) has doubted that the forthcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) elections would be held in free and fair manner. Following attacks against its workers in Nuwakot, Tanahu and Dhankuta in recent days, RJP president Surya Bahadur Thapa said these actions would hurt the prospects of timely and fair CA. He said his party had already said that they would accept the decision of elected CA about the status of monarchy. The Maoist cadres reportedly attacked RJP charging it to be a royalist party. Thapa accused that activists of Nepali Congress (NC) and UML were also involved in the attacks led by the Maoists. He also urged eight parties to maintain national unity, territorial integrity and communal harmony while going for federal structure. Leading dailies report
Prachanda Cautions Against Conspiracies To Derail CA Polls
In his first public address at Khula Manch on Tuesday (Feb 13), Maoist chairman Prachanda cautioned against conspiracies to derail the elections of the Constituent Assembly (CA). “Conspiracies are being hatched to derail the CA polls. But if the CA polls are not held by mid-June, we will go ahead and declare republic by mid-May,” he warned. Prachanda pointed out to recent remarks made by a Nepali Army general in Pokhara as indicative of such conspiracies. In his hour long address, Prachanda clarified that there was no alternative to federal republic system in Nepal . “There is no alternative to ethnic and regional autonomy,” he said. Prachanda expressed regrets that newly emerging outfits without roots were now trying to steal the slogans and agenda of the Maoists. He also outlined the economic policy of the Maoist party saying that top priority will be accorded to revolutionary land reforms. “After fixing a certain land ceiling, the excess land will be confiscated without giving compensation and redistributed to landless,” he said. Prachanda also expressed apology for some mistakes his party committed during the period of insurgency. Tens of thousands of people had gathered at the Open Theater to listen to Prachanda’s first open public address. Leading dailies report
JTMM (Singh) To Come For Talks
The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM – Jwala Singh faction) has declared that it will hold talks with the government as per the latter’s invitation. The faction has also decided to cease all armed actions, bandhs and strikes for a short period for the purpose of advancing solution through negotiations. The JTMM has also forwarded ten-point demands to create environment for negotiated solution. Those demands include declaration of independent Terai state, appointment of people from Terai-origin in all police and army positions in the region, holding of fresh census in the region led by Terai people, among others. Compiled from reports
