Veteran Artist, Lain Singh Bangdel releasing the album Prem Prathana. Also seen in the photo is Sindhu Rana, lyricist of the album and grand daughter of dramatist Balkrishna Sama.

‘Indian quarantine duty on Nepali export illegal’

By Bijaya Ghimire

CALCUTTA, India, Dec 23 - Buddha Dev Bhattacharya, Chief Minister of West Bengal, India, has said that the quarantine duty being slapped by India on export of Nepalese agro-products is illegal and should be waived immediately.

Talking to Nepali journalists Friday, Bhattacharya said, "The quarantine duty being imposed on Nepali agro-exports to India is illegal. There is no reason and rationale behind the quarantine duty."

And added that the West Bengal government was in favour of scrapping the duty.

He is the first such a high ranking Indian leader to criticize the imposition of the duty, that has severely hit the competitiveness of Nepalese agro-products in India. The Indian check posts charge over Rs 3000 per truckload of Nepalese agro-products.

The Indian customs at the border has been collecting quarantine duty for the past six months despite repeated plea of Nepali businessmen, who have been claiming that the duty is against the spirit of the Nepal-India Trade Treaty. The Treaty signed on December 5, 1996 provides a duty free access to Nepali products into Indian market.

Bhattacharya also flayed the Indian government’s stand on the issue and said, "the indifference and insensitiveness of the central government towards the problem faced by Nepal is a worrisome."

On the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed his state’s eagerness to expand trade with Nepal.

"We are ready to import surplus milk produced in Nepal. However, since customs is the discretion of the central government that could create practical problems," he said. Although excess milk produced by the farmers in the eastern Terai districts of Jhapa and Morang is presently being exported to India, yet there are lack of legal and other provisions for smooth export.

Bhattacharya also emphasized on the need to start bus operations form Siliguri to different eastern cities of Nepal. He was hopeful that such a bus connection would increase the inflow of Indian tourists to Nepal thereby helping Nepali tourism. "Though talks have been held with the Indian ministers as well, it is up to the central government to take the ultimate decision," he said.

Explaining various difficulties of the state government, he said since foreign and trade polices are completely handled by the centre, state authorities have a very limited role to play in such issues.

Regarding the use of Fulbari-Banglaband transit route, that connects Nepal and Bangladesh via India, he said, "additional infrastructure is one of the important aspects for the full-fledged utilization of the road".

Expressing concern over the widening trade deficit of Nepal with India, he admitted that India has been capturing Nepali market with the heavy influx of Indian goods. He stressed the need to upgrade mutual trade and said such mechanism will last for long time. However, he also pointed out for the need to upgrade Nepal’s competitiveness.

Commenting upon the problems that frequently arise in Calcutta port, which is the main entry/exit point for Nepal’s foreign trade, he said, "The root cause of the problem in Calcutta port is the unruly trade unions. This has not only affected Nepali businessmen, but also Indians and Bangladeshi alike."

Bhattacharya, on Friday evening, also held discussions with Minister of Science and Technology, Surendra Prasad Chaudhary. On the occasion, Chaudhary invited entrepreneurs from Bengal to invest in Nepal. The two leaders also talked on the possibility of starting bus service between the two countries. After the meeting, Chaudhary told the press that no talks on smuggling of Chinese goods came up during the meet.

Nepali entrepreneurs, media persons and Minister Chaudhary are in Calcutta, the capital city of West Bengal to take part in 14th Indian Industrial Trade Fair 2000. The fair is being participated in by a number of Nepali industries including beer, noodles and handicraft, among others.

International community urged to press Bhutan

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 23 – On the eve of the tenth round of bilateral ministerial-level talks between Nepal and Bhutan a number of refugee organizations today called on the international community for continued pressure on the Bhutanese government to involve the refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal in all dialogues and exercises pertaining to the refugee issue.

Association of Human Rights Activists (AHURA) has called upon the Joint Ministerial Level Committee (JMLC) to invite representation of the refugees under the leadership of Tek Nath Rizal to be engaged in all the dialogues and exercises pertaining to Bhutanese refugee issue.

In a press release issued today from Jhapa, AHURA has stated that the tenth round of talks slated for Dec 25-28, should be able to take some significant "positive steps" to determine the future of refugees languishing in seven camps in Eastern Nepal.

The association has called on the international community for continued pressure on Bhutanese government and has further said that the Nepal government should seek international intervention if the Bhutanese government fails to invite international non-partisan organisations to take part in the negotiations.

Bhutanese Refugee Representative Repatriation Committee, another association based in Jhapa, eastern Nepal has also said that if the talks are to have any positive outcome Tek Nath Rizal should be involved in the talks.

According to our reporter based in Jhapa, refugee leaders there said that the tenth round of talks will not make any breakthroughs and will be limited to "mere formality". The leaders said though they did not expect any major breakthroughs in the talks, it could be "significant" move due to the mounting international pressure.

US President Bill Clinton in a letter sent last week has urged Bhutan to use the upcoming meeting to reach an agreement with Nepal to begin the process of verification for the repatriation of nearly 100,000 Bhutanese refugees.

Visiting US officials earlier this month had put forth a new proposal to help resolve the stalemate over the verification. US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Karl Inderfurth and Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the US State Department Ms Julia V. Taft had disclosed the new US proposal that tried to bridge the gap between Nepal and Bhutan on the definition of a "family."

The disagreement over the definition has remained as the main stumbling block during the eighth and ninth ministerial rounds.

Another organisation, the Youth Organisation of Bhutan also in a press release called the aim of the Bhutanese government as "deceptive and aimed at deluding international concerns only."

"Bhutan has remained absolutely insincere and non-cooperative to His Majesty’s Government of Nepal since day one of the bilateral talks," it has said. "Now, under mounting pressure from the international communities, half-heartedly Bhutan has opted for this new round of dicussions with Nepal."

It has said that the talks will remain "only a farce" if Bhutan fails to nullify the "Drukpa settlement policy in south Bhutan." It has warned that if the Bhutanese government fails to do so, Bhutan will witness "ethnic conflict" in the near future.

Meanwhile, at an interaction programme organised in the capital today former foreign minister and diplomats stressed that Nepal should capitalise on the "favourable situation and make this the last round of talks."

"The international concern is on our side at the moment," said Professor Jayaraj Acharya, former advisor to the Prime Minister. "The talks should be decisive on the issue of refugees repatriation."

Koirala vows to promote young leaders

BIRATNAGAR, Dec 23 (PR)- Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and president of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) today said that the leadership of the party would be handed down to the younger generation in the up-coming general convention of the party.

Addressing a party function at his home district today, Koirala said that total 15 members will be elected from the five development regions to the Central Working Committee (CWC).

Koirala said that the younger generation was hesitating to take leadership of the party, adding "we are in the process of handing down the leadership of the party to the younger generation."

Koirala had earlier this month said that the party will have a collective leadership instead of the current presidential system.

He said that the party constitution will be changed before the convention to elect the leadership to various key positions and CWC members.

Implementation, challenge of IT Policy

By Ram Sharan Sedhai

KATHMANDU, Dec 23 - Though experts applaud the Information Technology (IT) Policy 2000, as the one which has a potential to usher in a new direction in the field of IT, they still retain the brunt of skepticism regarding its effective implementation.

The Policy envisions a lofty goal of placing Nepal on the global IT map within the next five years along with the pledges to render the technology competitive and to make it accessible to general populace.

In line with the government’s liberal economic policy, it places the private sector at the steering of the IT development, while the role of the government will be that of a promoter, facilitator and a regulator. The Policy envisages constitution of National Information Technology Council (NITC) headed by the prime minister and a National Information Technology Co-ordination Committee (NITCC) led by Science and Technology minister as facilitators.

As both of these bodies will be dominated by the government representatives, it is here that the private sector questions whether the Policy’s spirit of private sector leadership has been honoured.

The formation of NITC is controversial as it is the revival of the National Computer Centre (NCC), which the present government dissolved, says Biplav Man Singh, Vice President of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN).

Notwithstanding a number of facilities granted by the Policy, IT entrepreneurs say, it has unfairly denied concessions in the import duty on IT-related equipment and corporate tax. "IT industry should be given equal facilities to that of other manufacturing industries in import of raw materials and necessary accessories. IT industry should also be given tax holiday for at least three initial years," Singh says.

The Policy states that computer institutions and the enterprises inside the IT Park at Banepa will be levied one per cent import duty while the rest of enterprises, which have major market share, have to pay as high as 10 per cent import tax. The provision is not only biased but will also make those firms evade customs duty and hinder the growth of the knowledge-based industry.

However, he also lauded the Policy for providing Rs 10 million to the Venture Capital Fund for the promotion of IT.

Atma Ram Ghimire, a freelance IT consultant, says the introduction of the Policy in itself is positive and its objectives and strategies are good in the present context but the action plans are not comprehensive. In his opinion, the efficacy of the policy rests on the implementation and the role of the government as a promoter, facilitator and a regulator.

Experts also point out that the Policy lacks a flexible provision for amendment, which is crucial to keep pace with the fast-changing technology. Likewise, co-ordination among various related ministries is another challenge to the Policy as many government policies have often stuck in lack of co-ordination.

Bijaya Krishna Shrestha, Vice Chairman of Bank of Kathmandu, said it would have been better had there been a private sector-led initiative while constituting committees like that of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Shrestha also expressed doubts over the competence of the people in the science and technology ministry to understand the challenges of IT revolution that is sweeping the present era.

‘NC not willing to solve Maoist problem’

KATHMANDU, Dec 23 (PR)- General Secretary of the main opposition CPN-UMl, Madhav Kumar Nepal, today said that removing the Nepali Congress government from power will automatically solve 50 per cent of the nation’s problem.

Accusing the present Nepali Congress government of all the failures in the society, Nepal said, "The Nepali Congress has to be removed from power first to solve the Maoist issue."

Nepal further accused NC of not willing to solve the Maoist problem through dialogue as it has been enjoying pocketing a lot of money from the state coffers.

Nepal was speaking at an interaction programme on the Relevance on the Need for Constitutional Amendment organised by Democratic National Youth Federation (DNYF), the youth-wing of CPN-UML, today.

On amending the Constitution, Nepal said, "Series of reform measures will be discussed with all the parties."

Speaking on the occasion, former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana said that all the political parties, even those not represented in the Parliament, should sit together to solve the present crisis facing the country.

Rastriya Jana Morcha leader Pari Thapa said that there are many clauses in the constitution that contradicts to each other. He said that people who had drafted the present constitution had intentionally not included the clause of multi-religion and multi-culture in the constitution. Thapa expressed his astonishment over the demand of the "constitutional assembly" from the maoist and the pro-king people as well.

Speaking on the occassion, Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Pashupati Shumsher Rana stressing the need to incorporate proportional election system and the local self-autonomy in the constitution itself.

CIAA probing land tampering issue

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 23 - The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is currently investigating the Nawalparasi land tampering issue and will soon take a decision against those involved, a senior CIAA official said.

"We are currently investigating the matter," Indra Bahadur Sherchan, a commissioner of the constitutional anti-corruption body told The Kathmandu Post Friday. "We will definitely take a decision."

He did not specify the date when CIAA would take the decision, but said that "the commission would very soon take an appropriate decision after thoroughly investigating the matter".

In recent times, several groups of influential locals, most of them affiliated with the ruling and other national parties, have made attempts to officially register in their and their kinfolks’ names at least 133 bigahas (84 hectares) of the government-owned land in Dumkibas and Benimanipur VDCs and in Chisapani (Bardghat) VDC in Nawalparasi district.

The Sharma-led team comprising local leaders Kul Bahadur Bathamagar, Ratna Prasad Bhattarai, Krishna Bahadur Bi.Ka. and Ghana Shyam Sharma and others also went on to collect a total of 2.19 million from about 500 local households. The "committee formed to help the survey team" that began works in 1998 May, had also made poor villagers sign bonds promising to pay between 3,000 to 7,000 in future.

According to the locals and officials of Nawalparasi, a team of CIAA investigators last month visited Dumkibas and Benimanipur VDCs to check things out after an "struggle committee" led by Karna Bahadur Sunari filed a complaint.

Documents recently obtained by The Kathmandu Post in Nawalparasi showed that a fly-by-night group headed by Rishi Ram Sharma, a former Nepali Congress (NC)-elected District Development Committee (DDC) member, was attempting to grab a 24-bigaha plot and another 80-bigaha plot in Dumkibas VDC.

It was also revealed that another group of individuals including VDC officials of Benimanipur sold out about 10 bigahas of lands to the locals in the name of aiding a local high school. Also, a few individuals in Bardghat of Chisapani VDC have already started to encroach a 19-bigaha plot parallel to the East West highway.

The Bardghat-based plot was to be developed as a green belt area "as per King Birendra’s wish" after the His Majesty the King’s visit of the western development region in 2035 BS (1978-1979). No complaint or action has been initiated against the encroachers as yet although houses have already come up at the western end of the rectangular plot.

The ‘trapped’ Magars of Valmiki Ashram

By Surendra Phuyal

VALMIKI ASHRAM, Chitwan, Dec 23 - This UNESCO World Heritage property, situated in the south-western end of Royal Chitwan National Park, is famous for its Ramayana-time remains such as the Ashram of sage Valmiki where Rama’s wife Sita together with her twin sons, Lava and Kusha, spent her life in exile.

A national park territory that too in the middle of dense jungle where Royal Bengal tigers, bears and boars roam freely, one does not expect to see human beings or a human settlement with children and adult alike moving hither and thither.

But hold on, several million years after Hindu goddess Sita ended her life in exile and left for Pataal from the very place (as the legend has it) some 50 people belonging to Magar community are still spending their life here.

And worse, they are making their ends meet solely by smuggling home-made liquor that they brew out of malted sugar, into neighbouring Indian state of Bihar. Bihar’s Paschim Champaran district is two kilometres south of here.

This, despite the fact that "Late King Mahendra and His Majesty King Birendra during separate Royal visits to this holy site ordered the then authorities to resettle these (now eight) families elsewhere".

"Late King Mahendra and the present King Birendra had issued orders to relocate these people long ago," recalls Rajmati Giri a.k.a. Goshain, 56, wife of former priest Jaddu. "But nobody heeded the royal orders."

According to her, late King Mahendra visited the site in 2021 BS (1963), and King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya along with Prince Gyanendra and Princess Komal visited this holy site on Mangsir 2, 2029 B.S.

Only one or two out of the total 30 children of the settlement go to school, according to Amar Bahadur Ranamagar, one of the landless squatters taking shelter south of the pre-historic Ashram.

"The children go to collect firewood in the Indian jungle (Valmiki Tiger Reserve), help us collect malted sugar from the closest sugarcane mills and help us sell wine in the Indian villages," he says, exhaling a strong odour of wine.

The eight Magar families together brew four to five litres of wine every day. But the wine-making and selling business is not that easy. The Magars say, at times the Indian police and forest guards arrest them, thrash them and even fine them with hundreds of rupees.

Adds his neighbour Dal Bahadur Chidimagar: "We do not want to stay here. We do not have land to till here, that is why we do not have food. Besides, there is no drinking water, leave alone school or a health post. But what to do, no?...We have nowhere to go."

Thanks to the inaccessibility and lack of health facility, his friend Amar Bahadur’s adult brother died of typhoid while on the way to the hospital last year. "The nearest health post is in India’s Valmikinagar or Nepal’s Triveni - on the other side of the mighty Narayani river where you do not get boats easily," Chidimagar says.

Originally hailing from the western hill district of Palpa, the Magars are listed as the citizens of Gardi Village Development Committee (VDC) ward number 9 of Chitwan district. They migrated down here in 1971, according to lady Goshain.

"The national park does not allow them to touch even a small piece of firewood," she told this reporter last week. "Please write in your newspaper on behalf of these trapped people. Where are we to go and what are we to eat. We are also Nepali citizens. The government should focus its attention on us as well."

Vehicle operators withdraw strike

Post Report

BUTWAL, Dec 23 - Public vehicle operators decided to withdraw the three-day long zonal-level transport strike today after the local administration agreed to meet their four-point demands, the vehicle operators said.

The vehicle owners decided to keep their vehicles off the roads across Lumbini zone protesting against the murder of a bus owner and vandalising of more than 50 vehicles by a student mob on Thursday. Earlier, the transport entrepreneurs had boycotted a dialogue with the administration.

According to Krishna Neupane, Chairman of Western Nepal Bus Entrepreneurs Association, an umbrella body of public vehicles in the zone, the agreement reached between the administration and the Association to take action against Jayashwor Bhattarai’s murderer.

They also agreed to provide a compensation of Rs 300,000 to the Bhattarai’s bereaved family within 11 months, a compensation to the vehicles, vandalised by the mob in accordance with the Traffic Act, 2049 B.S. (1992) within 45 days and ensuring security in the city area.

Public vehicles started operating after half an hour of the agreement, Chairman Neupane told reporters.

A three-member committee comprising a mechanical engineer from Heavy Equipment Division, a Transport Entrepreneurs representative and a Traffic Police official was formed to assess the damage to the vehicles.

All public vehicles stayed off the streets on the second day of the strike, except for the Sajha Yatayat, rickshaws and motorbikes. However, life in the city was normal today.

The meeting also expressed deep condolences to two students who were killed in separate road accidents. An eight-year-old boy, Ram Prasad Poudel, and a college student, Baburam Acharya, were killed on Thursday’s road accidents in the city.

Biratnagar not yet normal

Post Report

BIRATNAGAR, Dec 23 - Industrial city of this eastern Sub-Metropolis remained closed even today due to threats from underground Maoists on telephones to a number of businessmen. A few shops had opened in the downtown area in Saturday evening.

People of the city were living under fear over the last four consecutive days due to violent clashes between the vehicle operators, students and riot-police.

Locals said that Maoists made phone calls from unknown places and warned them to close down the shutters.

Chief district Officer in Morang, Binod Gyawali, told The Kathmandu Post that the city life came to normal after a fruitful dialogue between the public vehicle operators and the agitating students. However, people faced a shortage of daily commodities as a result of the fresh Maoist threats.

Still, riot-police have been kept alert in various sensitive parts of the city and neighbouring localities to avert any possible violation, CDO Gyawali said.

The four day’s tension in the industrial city resulted in a heavy loss of customs revenues at the Biratnagar Costums office, according to the Costums Office.

Bus operators claimed that the students damaged their property worth Rs 700,000. The student mob had also damaged some of the police beats and telephone cabinets during the clash. The bus operators said that the administration has set up assessment committee, which will submit its report about the damages of private and public property within two days. The bus owners also demanded a compensation to the property vandalised during the agitation.

Binod Basnet, a member of the Eastern Bus Entrepreneurs Committee, said that all of the vehicles under their command would start plying in all routes beginning Sunday.