Riots break out over actor's remarks
At least 4 killed, hundreds injured

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26 - At least four people, one of them minor, were killed and 30 policemen including some 180 others were injured today during police efforts to disperse sporadic riots in the capital over the comments allegedly made by Indian actor, Hrithik Roshan, in an interview to an Indian TV channel, aired on December 14.

Those reported killed are 12-year-old Barsha Koirala of Thamel, 25-year-old Kedar Parajuli of Kavre and Govinda Nepal of Chabahil. The other victim is unidentified, according to Deputy Inspector General of Police Anantaram Bhattarai of the Valley Police Office.

Karma Lama, 10, and several others were injured during the riots. Lama was a mere spectator to the on-going protests while Koirala was hit by a stray bullet while she was playing inside her neighbour’s house, eye-witnesses said.

The Indian teenage heart-throb, who sky-rocketed to stardom with his debut film, had reportedly commented that the people he hated most were the Nepali people. However, the TV channel on which the interview was aired could not be confirmed.

The riot is said to have begun in Lainchaur this morning, after police intervened students who were heading to submit a protest letter to the Indian Embassy.

Since then, the riots spread across various parts of the capital including Baneshwore, Chabhil, New Road and Thamel. Protestors even attempted to set Gopi Krishna Hall in Chabhil on fire, where the actor's latest movie, Mission Kashmir, was being screened.

Meanwhile, the National News Agency adds that Ministry of Information and Communications has instructed all cinema halls throughout the country to not screen the Indian films featuring Indian artist Hrithik Roshan.

Even all major local cable TV operators have stopped transmitting Indian TV channels.

"We weren’t forced by any parties to stop the transmissions...We did it on our own will," said Nir Shah of Shangri-la TV Channel, one of the leading TV operators in the capital. "We only protest the comment made by Hrithik Roshan."

The otherwise busy capital seemed fairly silent today after most of the public vehicles chose to remain out of the major roads, marred by the demonstrations. Unconfirmed reports say several Indian tourists have also been manhandled in the capital.

Police said, they resorted to firing in many places after the violent mob refused to settle down despite tear-gas and lathi-charge. Until late this evening, riot police have been stationed on red-alert in various parts of the capital after demonstrations were still continuing.

According to our reports, 12 people are being treated for bullet injuries at the capital’s Teaching and Bir Hospitals. Hundreds have received treatment for other injuries. A press statement from the Home Ministry, says that 30 policemen were injured today.

Meanwhile, Nepal Motion Picture Association and Film Artist Association of Nepal (FAAN) has condemned the "derogatory" comments made by the Indian actor Hrithik Roshan against the sentiments of Nepal. FAAN has also requested to not screen any movies of the actor until he apologizes on the TV channel where the interview was aired, as well as to all the movie halls of Nepal.

Similarly, Gopi Krishna Movies Pvt. Ltd, in a press release issued here today, says that they will "never screen" any movies of Hrithik Roshan. They have also expressed support towards the protesting students.

Agitated demonstrators, mostly comprising of students aligned both to the ruling Nepali Congress and the leftist parties, held rallies and burned photos and effigies of the Indian star throughout the country.

According to our reports, protests were held across the country in Banepa, Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Butwal, Chitwan, Dhading, Gaighat, Gulariya, Hetauda, Lamjung, Nepalgunj, Nuwakot, Pokhara and Syangja.

Till late evening, The Kathmandu Post has received total 40 press releases from various organizations across the country condemning Indian filmstar Hrithik Roshan.

Hrithik denies disparaging comments

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26 - The Hindi film actor at the centre of a mounting spiral of violence in Nepal has denied that he ever made disparaging remarks about Nepal and Nepalis.

The Press Trust of India news agency reported from Bombay that Hrithik Roshan, the film star, denied commenting in a TV interview that he hated Nepal or Nepalis, as is being alleged by protestors here.

"I have never given a TV interview to any channel stating that I dislike Nepal and its people," Roshan was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency. "The fact is that I love Nepal as I love India and have tremendous respect for the Nepali people," he said.

Roshan’s alleged comments to a satellite TV channel has sparked widespread protests throughout Nepal. On Tuesday, two persons were killed when police fired to disperse a crowd of protestors in Kathmandu.

Public feels Hrithik episode ‘exaggerated’

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26 - The Capital remained tense today following a violent student protest over the derogatory remarks made by Bollywood film star Hrithik Roshan.

The protest took a nasty turn as Indian tourists were allegedly manhandled and shops owned by Nepalis of Indian origin and Indians were vandalised by the angry mobs in different parts of the capital. Vehicles with Indian number plates were also reportedly smashed and a police vehicle was set into fire.

How do the locals feel about it?

"This violence is not good," said Santosh Awale a businessman from Baneshwore. "We should ban all his movies, that’s all right. But I feel that the public has over reacted to the situation," he said.

Shyam Khadka, who looks after the management of Mulyankan monthly, a left leaning magazine, feels that the violent public reaction was not only due to what the film star allegedly said. " It is more against the government not reacting over something that has hurt the national sentiment."

"People are just making mountain out of a mole hill. It is not logical, that innocent people are being beaten because of a remark made by someone," said Yanta K Tamang, a student from Patan.

"The actor should have been aware of the impact his statement would make. He should have known that he has a strong fan following over here too. That remark was very irresponsible.

But so were the violent reaction of the public. We should have demanded apology from the actor through proper channel," said Ram Bahadur Budhathoki, a local resident of Bouddha.

Sapana Sunwar, a working woman said that it was foolish that we were destroying our properties just because someone said something. "Whatever we do out here Hrithik is not going to see it, so why are we destroying our own things and killing our people?" she questioned.

A ten-year old girl, Maiya Thapa said, "Eventhough he said those things we should not get angry. We have to tell him lovingly that he should not say such things."

NOC to build gas storage depot to regulate supply

By Prem Khanal

KATHMANDU, Dec 26 - With an aim to regulate the frequent disturbance in the regular supply of petroleum products including Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has decided to construct a gas storage depot in Nepal and start its own distribution channels.

The state-owned monopoly has also reached an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to construct an underground pipeline connecting Raxaul, India and Amlekhgung to do away with the supply problems faced at the Nepal-India border.

"The negotiations for the construction of pipeline and gas storage was completed with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) last week," said Madan Raj Sharma, Executive Director of NOC.

However, he informed The Kathmandu Post that the agreement will be implemented only after it is endorsed by the cabinet. He also said that it would take at least a year to begin its own gas distribution in the country.

The gas storage, likely to be constructed in Janakapur, is estimated to cost 300-400 million rupees. Similarly, the 35-kilometer proposed 12-inch diameter pipeline is expected to cost around 600 -700 million rupees and would be a joint venture between NOC and IOC. Sharma said laying of the pipeline would meet the projected domestic demand for next 20 years. The pipeline will run over-ground in most parts, however, it would be underground only in the densely populated areas such as Parwanipur and Jitpur.

"After the pipeline becomes operational, uninterrupted supply of the petroleum products can be ensured since the Raxual oil station is connected to other major oil refineries in India, including Barauni and Haldia," Sharma said. Though Barauni is yet to be connected with Raxual, IOC has assured to lay the necessary pipeline in the near future.

Besides smooth supplies, the pipeline connection is also likely to shave-off price and check adulteration of petroleum products. However, Sharma could not specify the extent of possible price reduction.

The entire cost of the construction would be solely borne by the NOC. Sharma informed "we have already submitted detailed report for the construction with the government and are awaiting their permission".

After the operation of the gas storage plant, NOC will compete with the private gas suppliers, which is expected to bring down the prices." We expect to capture at least 30 per cent of the domestic LPG market," said Sharma.

Till now, NOC had been importing diesel and kerosene from third countries, and petrol from India in exchange for kerosene or diesel. However, the corporation has now decided to import crude oil from the international markets and refine it in India. The new arrangement is likely to come into force after June 2001, after the expiry of the current agreement reached between NOC and IOC over the supply of petroleum products to Nepal last year.

Talks progress, both sides upbeat

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26 - Although the Bhutanese refugees still have to remain on tenterhooks for a day to know their fate, the second day of the Tenth Nepal-Bhutan Joint Ministerial Level Committee (JMLC) talks ended today on a broader agreement on guidelines for the verification process.

After the meeting, both the foreign ministers of Nepal and Bhutan reiterated their Monday’s sentiments that the tenth round might come out with a resolution to the refugee repatriation imbroglio.

"We have agreed on certain guidelines ... agreed in terms of idea of verification," said Chakra Prasad Bastola, Nepal’s foreign minister, adding, "we have left to the officials to draft the wording of what we have agreed this morning." Bastola said that if both the ideas and the words match, the problem could be resolved.

Bhutan’s foreign minister Jigme Y Thinley, said the day was very productive, and added: "We are very confident that the tenth round will be a round that we will be able to speak of as the one that has been able to lead to some very substantive results."

Thinley added that the thrust of this round so far has been to try and establish the arrangements that will take both the sides to the process of verification of the refugees languishing in the camps in eastern Nepal. "By tomorrow, we might be able to speak something positive on the modalities for the verification." He also said that it was important for both the sides to ensure that the families do not break up once the verification takes place.

Gyan Chandra Acharya, Spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there is an increased degree of flexibility this time. "We have seen some flexibility on their part in this meeting."

However, what he said next could still negate the confidence exuded by both the foreign ministers. Acharya pointed out that Bhutanese side is still unable to completely shed its fears that some non-Bhutanese might sneak into Bhutan as refugees. It is this fear that has come in the way of the resolution of the decade-long refugee impasse.

However, today’s positive developments were marred by two rounds of police lathi-charge outside the Shital Niwas gate on the demonstrating Bhutanese refugees who were 80-90 in number. The victims and the eye-witnesses said that the lathi-charge was something unprovoked and sudden.

According to the eyewitness, police resorted to lathi-charge when the crowd started chanting slogans demanding the inclusion of their representatives in the talks. Sashi Gurung, Inspector of Police reportedly ordered the first lathi-charge and it was repeated upon the order of Deputy Superintend of Police Madhav Kumar Thapa. About 15 refugees were injured and four of them were rushed to the hospital. Kamal Pradhan, a 58-year old refugee, told The Kathmandu Post, "We were demonstrating peacefully. We don’t know why we were beaten so severely."

PAC asks govt to probe Lauda Air deal

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26 - The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today asked the government to take stern action against those involved in the controversial Lauda Air deal.

PAC for the past few weeks has been reviewing the case amid allegations of irregularities while leasing a jet liner from Lauda Air by the state flag carrier Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC).

"There has been clear irregularities in the deal which violates regulations, is against the interest of RNAC and has been signed with malicious intention," said PAC’s final decision on the case read out by Chairman Subash Nemwang. Nemwang said the committee is directing the government and the cabinet to take strong action and punish those involved to the maximum allowed by the laws of the land.

PAC also decided to send its decision to all the concerned constitutional bodies so that it would also help Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in its case.

CIAA, the watch-dog agency, too is investigating the Lauda deal and has already questioned many people involved in the deal.

Unlike PAC, CIAA which is an executing body has the full authority to investigate the case and then file a case at a court.

PAC in its final decision also denounced RNAC’s refusal to accept PAC’s freeze order and despite the ban brought the lease jet liner to the country, as its fourth jet to its international fleet.

During investigation, PAC has questioned various officials including the top officials of RNAC and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala too was summoned by PAC and last week he assured the committee that the government would constitute an inquiry and punish those found guilty of any irregularity. At today’s meeting, members appeared divided over the decision. At the begining, majority of the members wanted to send all the documents they had recovered during investigation to CIAA.

"We could be doing double investigation ... I suggest we send all the papers to CIAA so that it could solely pursue the case," said Birodh Khatiwada.

However, members close to the government like Birendra Kanaudia opposed the idea of sending the documents to the government or issuing direct orders. Instead he suggested that they only make a recommendation to the government and also wait for a while since the prime minister had already given his assurance and commitment.

After nearly three hours of debate, member Ramesh Lekhak suggested that the committee first reach its decision, make the government aware of the decision and then let other agencies like CIAA to take up the case using their findings.

PAC had twice directed the Ministry and RNAC to freeze the deal till its further orders. However, RNAC management brought the widebody B-767 jet on December 1 as per the agreement. The Ministry has been accused by the PAC of tacitly giving the go-ahead to the lease deal.

On December 7, when Minister Tarini Dutta Chataut was asked this and other questions, he had said that RNAC went ahead with the deal under compelling circumstances, despite the PAC’s restrictions "which had come too late".