Bandh call draws scathing criticism

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KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - The two-day Nepal bandh called by Nine Left parties has been greeted with scathing criticisms from various quarters of society including some of the left leaning parties.

There has been even a mounting pressure on the Nine-Left, to call off the bandh, which has basically remained as the left-affair during the post-1990 period. The left alliance has called for a two-day Nepal bandh on January 1 and 2.

According to the admission of one of the leaders of Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal), a constituent of the Nine Left, the party was unwilling to go ahead with the bandh. Though the party felt that the bandh was not proper at this juncture, it decided to support the strike for the sake of left unity and to avoid being ostracised from the alliance.

Even the main opposition, whose support was claimed by the bandh callers, has already dissociated from supporting the strike. The Standing Committee meeting of Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) held in the capital Friday decided not to support the Nepal bandh call.

And the business community, which fears a loss of confidence by the foreign investors with ensuing strikes and violence, is trying hard to avoid the strike. A business delegation today met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and urged him to initiate dialogue to sort out the problem.

A delegation from Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Nepal Chambers of Commerce (NCC) and Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) itself met with the leaders of nine left parties yesterday and asked them to call off the two-day nation-wide strike.

The delegation requested the group to call off the strike, "which would otherwise invite a heavy loss to the national economy since it coincided with the international New Year."

Mahesh Acharya, Minister of Finance and Defence, told The Kathmandu Post today that the frequent bandhs were tarnishing the image of the country. "With continued bandhs and violence, we are beginning to lose whatever potentials for the development of the country." It is time that we take up the issue seriously before it is too late, he added.

A cross-section of daily wage earners who spoke to The Kathmandu Post too have taken the news of strike with pain. Vegetable and fruit vendors, cobblers, those running pavement tea service, tempo (three-wheelers) drivers, among others, feel that the instances of bandhs are unnecessarily increasing day by day. And most of them say, they don’t know the reason for the bandh neither they think it will help their cause.

Chandeswar Ram, cobbler from Sarlahi, tea vendor Nirmala Tamang from Ramechhap, vegetable vendor Babi Thapa from Naikap and Kumar Tamang, a three-wheeler driver from Shindupalchowk say the bandh will only take away their daily earning.

"We can’t risk selling vegetables on any strike day as the supporters pelt stones indiscriminately," said Thapa, who is the only parent to support a family of four.

Narendra Shrestha of Minbhawan-34, said that the left parties should stage a sit-in, instead of bandh, outside the Singha Durbar, to press for their demands, whatever they be. "Why harass the public and the hapless poor?"

Similarly, Dharmendra Shaha of Rautahat, a mobile banana vendor at Kalimati said that the strikes should be banned once and for all. "In whose interest are these parties calling the bandh?" asked Shaha.

Since February 1990, nearly 50 bandhs have been called, and only twice the organisers have withdrawn. 16 of the strikes were limited to Kathmandu Valley only. Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, senior Nepali Congress leader and former Finance and Foreign Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat termed the proposed strike "a symptom of total social indiscipline and anarchy".

Many of the intellectuals who met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at his official residence today urged the PM to contain such bandhs that were giving rise to anarchy in the country.

Khadka attempts patch up in NC

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KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - Some of the leaders of ruling Nepali Congress (NC) today said that they were trying to resolve the renewed imbroglio within the party and avoid voting on the no-trust proposal.

Khum Bahadur Khadka, one of the key players behind the no-trust proposal and heavyweight of the Deuba-camp today held discussions with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in an attempt to patch up the current dispute plaguing the country’s largest party.

According to sources close to the Prime Minister, Khadka proposed a compromise formula that former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba be given the berth of the party’s deputy-president and Khadka himself a post of general secretary.

Deuba is challenging Koirala for the party’s presidency in the up-coming party’s general convention slated for Jan 19-22 in Pokhara.

Khadka is reported to have urged Koirala to initiate process seeking consensus within the party to save the it from sharper divisions. After the meeting, Koirala told ministers and lawmakers loyal to him, that the two leaders have almost reached an understanding, said the source. The two will be meeting again on Sunday.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post today, former Finance Minister Dr Ram Saran Mahat, who is considered moderate in the party but has signed the no-trust proposal against Prime Minister Koirala, said that he was in favour of an amicable resolution that is acceptable to all the factions within the party.

"This trend of filing no-trust motion within the parliamentary party was started in the name of political exercise and has hit the party very hard," said Mahat. "The head-counting will only create sharper divisions within the party and should be avoided by reaching to an understanding."

This comes only two days after a no-trust proposal was filed at the Congress parliamentary party by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba with signature of 56 lawmakers. However, immediately after the proposal was filed some of the MPs announced that they were withdrawing their support.

Other leaders of the rebelling camp, however, today said that there can be no compromise unless Prime Minister resigns from his position. "The only point where a compromise can be reached is, if the Prime Minister resigns," said Chiranjivi Wagle, leader of the Deuba-camp.

"The MPs who were said to have withdrawn their support from the proposal have not notified us about their withdrawal and these are all rumours."

Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who is backing the whole proposal, was deposed from chair in March by the Koirala-camp who filed a no-trust proposal against him in the parliamentary party but Bhattarai resigned before voting in the party and made way for Koirala.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Girija Prasad today also discussed various problems within the party and the government with some intellectuals, said sources close to the Prime Minister. The discussion is reported to have primarily concentrated on the no-trust proposal against Prime Minister.

FNTE threatens to take to streets

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KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs (FNTE) today warned to take to streets from January 14 if the government did not revoke its recent decision to ban all the vehicles older than 20 years from Kathmandu Valley.

"We have already protested against the government’s decision to ban the vehicles, but the government is showing no reaction," said the release. "We will be forced to launch another nation-wide chakka jam."

Meanwhile, Nepal National Taxi Entrepreneur Association and Lalitpur Minibus Entrepreneur Association also issued press releases stating that they would be forced to organize protest rallies on January 3. "The government must reconsider the decision for good."

The warnings come nearly two months after the government published a notice in the Gazette announcing that it will impose a complete ban on the registration and operation of all the vehicles - both diesel- and petrol-operated buses, minibuses, minitrucks, mobile trucks, tankers, vans and taxis owned by both government and private enterprises and individuals - from Mangsir 1, 2058 B.S. (mid-November 2001).

The Gazette notice also announced that all the petrol- and gas-operated three wheelers (with two-stoke engines) owned by both government and private enterprises and individuals will be banned from operating in the Valley.

The third ban which will come into effect from Shrawan 1, 2058 B.S. (mid-July 2001), will ensure that none of the diesel-operated three-wheelers (Vikrams) that were banned from operating inside the Valley last September, will be allowed to operate in the municipal areas of the country.

Works begin on Bishnumati Link Road Project

By Razen Manandhar

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - The seven-year old chronicle of a 2.8 km road in the capital may soon turn into reality. Locals who were up in arms against the Bishnumati Link Road Project before are now agreeing to join hands with the community as well as the government.

Locals living along the banks of Bishnumati river Teku to Nayabazaar have now formed a consumer committee which will help the government realize the long-conceived road project that is expected to ease the traffic bottlenecks of downtown Kathmandu.

People officially involved in the project say that the committee was formed recently, and that the locals have realised that their contribution could help a lot. "Now, earth-filling and gravelling works are going on," said Pramila Singh, Chairperson of the Bishnumati Link Road Consumers’ Committee. "Almost all the locals are happy now."

Some seven years ago, the Asian Development Bank agreed to provide a loan assistance of US $ 5.6 million for the project that was expected to link the Northern and Southern cores of capital city. However, it later withdrew the loan in 1995 November because the government did not work on it satisfactorily.

This time around the government of Nepal itself is undertaking the project in hopes that the multilateral donor agency would come back and support the long-conceived project.

Babu Raja Maharjan, in his early forties, had to go through a tough moment when he watched his building on a piece of four-ana land in which he was running a small tea shop turned into dust a few months ago. "I sacrificed my house, which I hope has inspired others to do the same for development’s sake," he says now.

His neighbours, Madhusudan and Ashta Narayan Maharjan were but mute spectators when the authorities dismantled their buildings. Witnesses now say the owners shed tears from their eyes when the bulldozer dismantled their concrete houses.

Pramila Shrestha said that construction of the road - a Rs 340 million project - is possible now mainly because of the cooperation from the locals and the government’s realisation that the link road is a need of the whole city.

The Bishnumati Link Road -- a road being developed as an alternative to the core city roads -- passes through ward number 13, 15, 16, 17 and 18 (which links Teku, Kankeshowri, Tamsipakha, Dhalko, Indrayani and Sorhakhutte) of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).

Plan to construct an alternative road to save the Kathmandu Durbar Square from turning a traffic bottleneck was not new. It was in the year 1974 that a 7 km road was planned along the Bishnumati river at the cost of Rs 20 million. "The plan would have been materialised two decades ago had the government provided budget in time," says Deputy Director General of Urban Planning and Housing Department, Bharat Sharma.

After ADB pulled out from the Project, it came under Road Department’s responsibility. But the department did almost nothing in that long period, claim locals.

Padma Lal Shrestha, the chief of Bishnumati Link Road Project is happy that the project works have finally been resumed. "We took responsibility to complete this project because this road directly affects the urban environment," he says.

Engineer Nawaraj Pyakurel, who is involved in the Project for a long time, says the government has allocated Rs 17 millions this year. This money, though not sufficient, will help speed up works. "Now we are facing some minor problems due to the squatters and some religious groups, but we can overcome such problems and complete our job on time provided that there is no shortage of the budget."

NSU convention postponed

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KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - The ruling Nepali Congress, today postponed the general convention of its student wing, Nepal Student Union (NSU) in the wake of renewed power tussle between the two camps of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba.

The postponement decision came this morning, only a day ahead of the three-day convention slated to start tomorrow in Chitwan. The new date has been fixed as January 26, 27 and 28.

Meanwhile, the faction within the NSU, that supports the dissent Deuba camp, has termed the postponement decision as "unfair."

The pro-Deuba faction in NSU has accused the pro-Koirala camp of resorting to the "unfair" decision made by party high command after they saw very little chances of being elected in the proposed general convention.

"Such a practice of deferring the general convention in the last moment and replacing the central committee by an ad-hoc committee has considerably damaged the Union," says a press release issued here today by the rebel faction headed by Kishore Singh Rathore.

A press release issued by Govind Bhattarai, the present president of NSU, states that "the convention was postponed according to a written directive issued by party president this morning." Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is also the president of ruling Nepali Congress.

12 injured in protest rally

JANAKPUR, Dec 30 (PR)- At least, a dozen people, including some policemen, were injured here Saturday in a protest rally, called by the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) over the arson of its party office in Kathmandu, Friday, police said.

Superintendent of Police at District Police Office in Dhanusha, Kalyan Kumar Timsina, said that police used mild lathicharge after the party supporters started stone-pelting at the district administration office at Sangam Chowk.

However, party leader Om Kumar Jha alleged that police used force at the peaceful protest rally. An all party meeting, chaired by Chief District Officer, Tana Gautam, expressed deep sorrow over the incident that took place in capital over the last couple of days.

SP Timsina said that they would not interfere with any peaceful procession but would firmly deal with the element that attempted to disturb the communal harmony.

Meanwhile, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, in a press statement issued Saturday, condemned the act of vandalism of the NSP’s central office. The press statement also demanded that the government take stern action against those responsible for the arson of the party office.