Police morale low, mutiny feared

By Akhilesh Upadhyay

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - There are ominous signs that the police force is facing mutiny at the top echelon as police toll begins to mount to dangerous proportions due to the Maoist insurgency.

“Recent attacks on police have crossed all pre-election (the May general election) limits,” said a senior police official. “But the Nepali Congress leaders are locked up in a protracted power struggle. As the political instability hits the police morale, Maoists are going through a high.”

There are suggestions at various government agencies that either the police be immediately armed with better weapons, or the army, which is more combat-ready, be mobilized “at least until the police gears up to the level of combat-readiness.” 

The situation came to a head on Saturday, a day after 15 policemen --including Inspector Sri Ram Acharya, Assistant Sub-Inspector Hari Shanker Parajuli--were killed in Ghartigaon VDC, Rolpa.

At least 20 other policemen were injured, some of them seriously.  An emergency meeting comprising Prime Minister, Home Minister, Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police will shortly take place to look into the possibility of army’s role in countering the insurgency, said an official. 

“Those in the leadership role in the insurgency-hit areas are saying, ‘We will be forced to abandon the police posts, if something doesn’t get done urgently,’ ” said a police official who has been closely monitoring the recent escalation. 

Police officials say the government has failed to heed to their long-standing demands for added manpower and ammunition to help them counter the growing challenge posed by the insurgents. Police Inspector Achyut Krishna Kharel has gone on record more than once to stress that Nepal Police needs to develop a specialized police force to face combat situations.

The situation is especially bad in Jajarkot, Kalikot, Rukum, Rolpa, Salyan, and Sindhuli. All but the last district are in the Mid-western Region.

The police nervousness has hit a new high in recent days after what they claim is “the first clear sign that Maoists are now employing automatic weapons.” “We always suspected they had some automatic weapons at their disposal,” said a police official. “Ghartigaon was the first time they had used automatic weapons.”

The rebels are changing their target and mode of operation, according to Home Ministry officials. Secretary at the Home Ministry Padam Prasad Pokhrel said the rebels, who used to target civilians, are now attacking police and have switched from crude weapons to automatic guns.

“We are testing the bullets (found in Ghartigaon). Once the results are out we will be able to determine what type of weapons they were using,” Pokhrel told the State Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives today.

He claimed the rebels are using civilians as human shields while attacking police. “A handful of Maoist guerrillas drag scores of villagers before mounting an attack on police stations,” said a police official who has made on-site inspections of a number of attack sites.  

Pokhrel said that a team of police led by high level officials were investigating the recent encounters with Maoists and would prepare a report by Friday.

Deuba asks Koirala to withdraw No Confidence move

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today urged Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala to take back the proposal brought against Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

According to sources in the party, Deuba had pledged full cooperation to resolve the present deadlock in the party. In return he asked Koirala to withdraw the proposal.

Though Koirala had called Bhattarai to set up a meeting today, the meeting could not take place due to the prime minister’s busy schedule.

Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, however, did manage to convince the two leaders to meet on Friday, a day before voting on the proposal.

The NC parliamentary party is scheduled to meet on Saturday to debate and vote on a proposal of “no-confidence” brought forth by 58 rebelling NC lawmakers against Prime Minister Bhattarai.

The attempts by the second generation leaders of the party could not materialize today, either. Most of them are reported to be backing down.

Party spokesman Narhari Acharya said though talks were on to resolve the situation, they had not reached a point of agreement.

Meanwhile, Koirala today met party lawmakers from western and central regions and is scheduled to meet members from the eastern region tomorrow.

Prime Minister Bhattarai is also meeting the lawmakers for consultations tomorrow.

EDC evaluates 22 hydel projects

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 (PR) - Electricity Development Centre (EDC) that looks after the hydel-projects funded by private parties has completed its evaluation of the proposals for the 22 hydel projects.

Executive Director of EDC Kishor Babu Aryal said the committee formed to evaluate the proposals has completed evaluating 62 proposals submitted by both the local and foreign companies. He said the centre is preparing to send it to the Ministry of Water Resources with recommendations.

Some 28 companies submitted 62 proposals after EDC sought proposals for the development of 11 projects and for the feasibility study of another 11 projects three months back. Nine Nepali companies, four Indian companies, two companies each from Canada, Australia, United States, France, one each from Belgium, China, Norway, Brazil and one Nepal-America joint venture company have submitted their proposals.

According to EDC, 30 megawatt Kabeli-A and 27 megawatt Raghughat project have received the highest number of proposals -- 10 each for the project development. The government is planning to decide on these two projects as per the condition put forth by the World Bank. World Bank will establish the Power Development Fund it promised five years ago after the centre meets the bank’s condition. The 51 megawatt Likhu-4 is the project that has received highest number of proposals for feasibility study. Nine companies have submitted their proposal for the study. The 22 megawatt Budhi Ganga has received 6, the 402 megawatt Arun-III and 101 megawatt Tamor-Mewa have received three each.

Arun-III which was aborted five years back by the World Bank has received proposal from Canadian company ASTQ Holdings, one American company and one Nepali company. Even Tamor-Mewa has received proposals from Canadian, American and Nepali companies. Likewise, one American company and one Canadian company have submitted the proposal for the 335 megawatt Upper Arun project.

Maoists kill 2 more even as parties react on Rukum incident

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - Maoist rebels killed two people in neighbouring Kavre and Sindhupalchok districts in separate incidents today, a day after police killed equal number of Maoists in Rukum in the mid-western hills.

Asha Bahadur Tamang, Chairman of Bangwa VDC, was hacked to death by a group of Maoist rebels in Syaule VDC at about 10 in the morning, according to INSEC, a human rights organization. He was first tied to a tree and then hacked with a khukuri.

Likewise, Hom Nath Timilsina, a Nepali Congress activist, was killed in similar manner at about 7 in the morning at Dhungkharka VDC, Kavrepalanchok, police sources said.

With these incidents, total number of people succumbed to Maoist’s “People’s War” in the last six days has reached 38. While 15 police were killed in Rolpa on Saturday, 18 rebels were killed in neighbouring Rukum and one more in Mugu two days later as police intensified massive search operation in the mid-western hills.

Furthermore, two rebels had been killed in Rukum’s Chaurwang VDC Wednesday. The dead rebels were not immediately identified. The incident occurred near Khara VDC, where a 180-strong police force teamed up for the search operation.

Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday the same village area, including five other villages, saw hundreds of houses gutted by fire set either by the police or the Maoist rebels.

Even as the reports of fire stopped pouring in Thursday, not much headway has been made towards investigating into the circumstances leading to the massive fire. Neither has the government taken any steps towards compensating the affected families, according to our Nepalgunj-based reporter.

Officials at local administration office Rukum today said nothing has been done as of now to investigate into the actual cause of the fires, or compensate the affected villagers. Chief District Officer of Rukum Parshuram Aryal had said yesterday that investigation had been initiated into the incident. Aryal was not available for comment today.

There are conflicting claims on the incident with locals blaming the police and police pointing fingers at the insurgents. However, INSEC, a human rights organization, claimed that police after failing to comb out Maoist rebels during their search set the houses on fire.  

Earlier on the day former parliamentarian from Rukum Gopalji Jung Shah and Nepali Congress Central Committee Member Rewati Bhusal reached Musikot, the district headquarters. However, police refused to take them to the affected areas, sources said.

Meanwhile, Rukum District Development Committee President Khem Man Khadka asserted that Maoists should bear responsibility for the incident. “Maoist are the root cause of the fire incident, they should bear responsibility for this,” he told The Kathmandu Post by telephone.

Eyewitnesses said smoke billowing out of the burning houses could be seen from Musikot even till Thursday. Helicopters flew past the fire-affected villages all day today.

Mid Western Regional Police Chief Rajendra Bahadur Singh, who returned from Rukum, said in Nepalgunj that the fire has gutted at least six houses used by Maoist rebels. He claimed that police attacked only those houses used by Maoists as shelters.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress sources in Musikot said that the members of the fire affected families have begun to throng the district headquarters seeking compensation and proper housing arrangements.

In far-west’s Tikapur, meanwhile, District Police Office Kailali informed today that police had initiated action against more than 18 armed Maoist rebels who were involved in “acts of terrorism.”

In Kathmandu, political parties continued to react on incident. Communist Party of Nepal - Marxist Leninist (CPN-ML) in a press release issued today has condemned the action of “so-called democratic government” and demanded investigation into the incident. Similarly, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has expressed deep sorrow over the incident. “The government should immediately investigate into the incident and make all reports public...The affected families should be resettled,” the RPP press release adds.

Rights activists seek money from Caravan

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - Human rights activists today said the makers of Caravan, a movie filmed in Dolpo, Upper Dolpa, that has been nominated for the Oscar under the Best Foreign Language Film category, should allocate some of the film’s profit for the development of the region.

“Some of the profit made by Caravan should be used to create a special fund for the development of Dolpa,” said former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana at an interaction programme organised by the locals of Karnali, the region where Dolpo lies.

He said a special committee should be formed with the consent from producer Eric Valli, co-producer Nir Shah and the government for the development of the region.

Human rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar said foreigners have “exploited” Nepal earlier too when they made movies that were supposed to depict Nepal. “Foreigners show poverty, uneducation and deprivation in films but do not depict the cultural, historical and religious aspect. This is exploitation,” said Tuladhar.    

He warned that if the producers have not paid proper remunerations to the actors, a petition on the ground of human right violation can be filed at the place where it is screened.

Co-producer Shah said none of the technicians, actors or others related with the film have complained to him about the pay. “I can ask him (Eric) to help on moral ground,” said Shah. “But they are not under compulsion to help Dolpa as per the contract.”  

He claimed none of the actors were exploited by the makers.

Caravan which is based on the age-old tradition of salt trading in Dolpo is competing with a Spanish film All About My Mother, French film East-West, British film Solomon and Gaenor and Swedish film Under the Sun.

AI team leaves on optimistic note

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - General Secretary of Amnesty International (AI) Pierre Sane today expressed satisfaction with the government’s commitments to end human rights abuses post haste.

“We are pleased to have received some positive commitments from government authorities during the course of our visit,” said Sane at a press conference organised by AI Nepal as a “round-up” of the delegation’s visit to Nepal.

He said he was promised that investigations would be conducted into 44 cases of Maoist “disappearances” recorded over the past two years, adding “it is now a government obligation.”   He, however, claimed that “evidence continues to emerge of police holding detainees in secret places of detention, such as the Armed Police Training Centre at Maharajgunj Police Academy.” He said he encouraged the government to “invite the UN Group on Disappearances to visit Nepal to assist it.”

He also recommended that the government arrest any person responsible for atrocities and extra-judicial activities, whether they be Maoist, police or government official of any rank. “If the government fails to prosecute them here,” he said, AI will make sure that they would be tried and prosecuted at the International Court of Justice at Hague in the Netherlands.

He said it was very unfortunate that “never was a single police officer arrested or charged for committing atrocities during the ongoing Maoist conflict. But we all know that atrocities are committed on the both sides in a conflict like this.”

When asked to comment on the status of Maoist activists, he said that data provided by the Home Ministry states that 2639 Maoist have surrendered, 862 killed and 1596 imprisoned. A total of 5197 Maoists have been “put out of combat” and some 1200 “combating”.

He also urged the Maoist to “put an end to abuses and issue strict orders to its cadres not to attack civilians, take hostages, kill or torture prisoners or recruit children into their ranks.”

Govt playing musical chair with commencement of academic session

By Yogendra Bista

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - Confusion reigns supreme in the nation’s primary and secondary education sectors as the government and schools cannot agree just when to begin the new academic year.

The situation is such that, at the moment, schools are advertising for new students for academic year beginning in mid-April, but the Ministry of Education says the academic year can start only in mid-July.

The tussle has led to bewilderment in the education sector with students, parents, and schools unable to decide which way to proceed.

“We are in absolute confusion when to begin the new session,” says C P Bhattarai, a teacher with Adarsha Vidya Mandir, Lalitpur. “We had earlier decided to begin classes in mid-April, but after the government’s recent notice we don’t know what to do.”

In a recent notice published in newspapers, the Ministry of Education ordered all schools to start the new academic year from mid-July. But what it did not say was that the Ministry, only a few days before, had agreed with schools to announce the beginning of the new academic year from mid-April.

The Ministry’s notice also followed on the heels of an advertisement placed by boarding school organizations calling for admissions for academic year beginning in mid-April. Boarding school officials say, they had believed that the agreement with the Ministry would be kept.

According to Rajesh Khadka, president of Private and Boarding Schools Organization Nepal (PABSON), a committee formed under the convenorship of Minister of State for Education Rajendra Kharel to work on the academic sessions took the decision to commence the session from mid-April on the second week of February this year.

The schools accordingly planned their time-table and some of the schools under the PABSON and National Private and Boarding Schools Association Nepal (NPABSAN) even cancelled their second term examination and were preparing to go straight into the final examination.

However, things took a new turn when Education Ministry announced on February 16 that the ministry cannot prepone the session as it would involve making amendments in the Education Regulation.

Educationists are enraged by the government’s decision. “We are shocked at the sudden change of tone by the Ministry,” said Khadka. “Recently we (all concerned parties) had signed an agreement with the government to start this year’s session in April/May. We don’t know what went wrong later.”

Khadka said the PABSON is taking a delegation to the Ministry soon to request the government to review its decision.   

The academic sessions in Nepal had always commenced in February until the decision was taken by the Education Ministry three years back to start it in July. Schools and their association had opposed the government’s decision then stating that it was impractical in the Nepali context. The schools had maintained that those appearing for the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination would only have nine months to prepare as it takes place in mid-April.

Educationists say the SLC examination cannot be postponed to later date as the intermediate level classes too start in July. “The SLC results have to be announced by then otherwise they’ll miss one year,”   said Dr Devkant Joshi, Principal at LRI College in Kalanki.

Ashok Kumar Baskota, Headmaster of Ratna Rajya School who is also a Central Committee Member of Nepal Teachers’ Association, says it is best to start sessions in February in Nepali context. “However, Mid-April is also fine if we are to continue holding the SLC exam in April as started two years back,” says Baskota.

“The government took the unilateral decision to commence academic session in July even when we opposed it. We accepted it,” says Baskota. “When the government decided to start it in Mid-April we accepted it again. But now the government’s recent decision to go back to July again has created confusion for us.”

The teachers and students too are confused. “The frequent changes in the dates of academic session has created problems for us. We have not been able to stick to our lesson plan,” says Pramila Kafle, a teacher at Tarun High School in Balaju.

Shristi Pant, a ninth grader, voices the student’s concern. “Our school gives a different date to start the new session,” she   says. “We don’t know when it will really begin. I’m confused when we’ll begin our final year in school.”

Road project launched

By a Post Reporter

LALITPUR, Feb 24 - Issues of environmental sensitivity, rehabilitation of displaced families and consumer and donor sensitivity were stressed at a project launching workshop held here today.

The “Road Maintenance and Development Project”, funded jointly by the World Bank and HMG, aims to provide motorable link to six district headquarters by 2004 and upgrade some roads along the highway as well as feeder roads.

According to Prithvi Raj Legal, vice chairperson of National Planning Commission (NPC) the project strives towards fulfilment of the 9th plan which focuses on poverty alleviation in the western and far western region. “A significant proportion of the road budget has been allocated for these areas,” he said.

A 197 km stretch of road will link the headquarters of Darchula, Martadi, Bajura, Achham, Jumla and Jajarkot. In addition, 253 km will be upgraded and 430 km periodically maintained. Upon completion, officials claim that 68 out of the 75 districts will be linked by roads.

Jagdish Chandra Pokhrel, member of NPC stressed that the project must be clear concerning deadlines within the contract. “The government will have to take a huge load if the donors do not release the funds,” he explained.

Out of the total Rs. 4 billion 550 million necessary for the project, World Bank (WB) sanctioned a loan of Rs. 3.79 billion. The remainder is invested by HMG. However, according to WB policy, the project must follow a participatory approach whereby a private sector Roads Board and Roads Fund will be involved along with locals who will contribute labour.

A joint private sector/government oversight board with six members from the private sector and five from the government was formed in 1998. According to Ananda Raj Mulmi, President of the Road Board Implementation Committee, the board drafted an Act on road maintenance which will be forwarded during this winter session. He said that the funds for road maintenance could be generated by tolls and taxation on heavy vehicles.

The project also includes environmental considerations, a prerequisite of the WB.

Hans Rothenbuhler, Country Director of WB said that the project will “substantially improve the lives of 250 villages,” and added that with the latest technology available and the incorporation of indigenous participation and the project will be environmentally friendly.

“Unless environmental issues are properly treated, the aid flow to the country will be limited,” said Govind Raj Bhatta, Secretary at Ministry of Population and Environment, MOPE. He raised the issue of the displacement of people and explained, “The UN and WB have exact standards for compensation of the displaced.” He added that the ministry will strictly monitor the project.

Pokhrel from NPC raised the issue of possibile hitches in the implementation of the project.

“The roads are in sensitive areas... there might be difficulty in transporting explosives and finding the right contractors and technicians to work there,” he said.

He requested that donors bear with “certain issues that do not have a clear-cut solution...This exercise of participatory labour based road building of this size has never been undertaken before,” he said.

The NPC will be monitoring the project regularly, both monthly and bimonthly. If necessary, it will consult the PM, according to Pokhrel.

Commensality missing even among teachers

By a Post Reporter

MAHENDRANAGAR, Feb 24 - They may have wholeheartedly accepted a plateful of meal touched by their pet dog. But teachers and parents associated with a government school in this far-western Terai town did not feel it good to invite a fellow school teacher for tea at a school function yesterday.

Tun Ram Sarki, a school teacher at Mahakali Janasewa School who traditionally belongs to a cobbler family, was force to face deep humiliations Wednesday afternoon when his fellow school teachers and parents belonging to upper castes refused to have tea with him.

“Everybody except me was called in for tea after the school’s anniversary function was over yesterday,” Sarki, who’s been working as a teacher in the school for the last four years, said. In an educational institution where majority of teaching staff come from Hinduism’s upper social hierarchy--such as Brahman, Chhetri etc--such form of social discrimination is not new for Sarki--and, not to forget, his students coming from dalit (downtrodden) families.

“...Fellow colleagues expressing displeasures when I join them for tea, and refilling water-buckets when I touch them are common incidents in my school,” Sarki added.

Left students announce stir

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - Four communist aligned student organizations today announced a series of agitation programmes to press the government into addressing their long-standing 29-point demands.

The student bodies include All Nepal Free Students’ Union (ANFSU), ANFSU (Sixth) and two other ANFSU (Revolutionary) groups, one aligned with CPN (Maoist) and the other with the United People’s Front.

Their 29-point demands include the removal of any sort of fees for primary schools, removal of compulsory Sanskrit in high schools, forbiddance of campus privatisation under Tribhuvan University, removal of the misleading statement claiming Buddha was born in India from a book that is read by Bachelor-level students and removal of the three year Bachelor course.

“We have been compelled to resort to stronger protest programmes as the government is not interested in reaching a solution at all. Our demands have been neglected since the past two years,” Coordinator of ANFSU Rabindra Adhikari told reporters today.

The protest programmes include distribution of pamphlets in boarding schools on March 10, a sit-in at the Ministry for Education and District Education Office on March 23, and a nation-wide chakka jam on March 28. The Unions have also threatened to close down educational institutions for two days starting April 2.

Janadesh editor slapped flase charges

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - Editor of Janadesh Weekly, mouth-piece of underground Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist, Krishna Sen may not be released from police custody anytime soon.

He has been in custody since April 19 last year. Police had arrested him from the street of the capital’s Sundhara on that day.

According to a news release issued today by Informal Sector Services Centre (INSEC), a human rights organization, police have continued to keep Sen in custody after he failed to pay bail amount worth Rs 24,250.

“Sen said to INSEC that police have filed a case against him under Arms and Ammunition Act,” the news release said, adding, the police have mentioned in the petition filed in local administration office Siraha that an armed Sen was apprehended by the police on February 12 night at a place in Siraha district.

“Sen also blamed the police of conspiring against him and that they were not in a position to release him that easily,” the news release added.

After his April 19 arrest, Sen was kept in Bhadragol Jail in Kathmandu for nine months. He was taken to Siraha jail on February 18.

Meanwhile, Nepal Journalists Federation Kamana chapter issuing a press release today has condemned “rising tendency to unnecessarily harass journalists, and even resorting to pushing fake charges against the members of the fourth estate”.