Left parties flay British charges against GAESO

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KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - Leftist parties here have condemned the articles in British dailies The Telegraph and The Mirror which claimed that former Gurkha soldiers "are being forced to hand over up to half of their newly-increased pensions to communist agitators".

The left parties have also denounced the British government for "defaming the fair battle" of the former Gurkha soldiers with the British Army against pension disparity.

The Telegraph had published an article on October 8 entitled Thugs extort pension from Gurkhas, accusing Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen Organization (GAESO) of being closely linked to the Communist Party of Nepal and running a "campaign of extortion and intimidation" calling it a "radical pressure group".

The press release, issued by various leftist parties, lawyers and human rights activists states: "The article published by the so-called free press of such a democratic country has twisted facts and has humiliated the Nepali people. It is an undemocratic move of the British to suppress the entire movement."

"GAESO is an independent professional organization which holds no affiliation to any Communist party," the release says.

The release is signed by Raghuji Pant of CPN-UML, Navaraj Subedi of National Peoples’ Front, Sunil Prajapati of Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party, Lila Mani Pokharel of United Peoples’ Front. Representatives from CPN-ML, CPN-Marxist, CPN-United and ANNFSU, the left-aligned student unions, have also signed the release.

The article on the British daily also says that British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has raised the issue with the Nepali Prime Minister warning that the British Government would take legal action if the intimidation continued.

Meanwhile, Yam Bahadur Gurung, general secretary of GAESO -- which has spearheaded the battle for pension parity for a number of years, denied all the allegations made in both the British dailies.

"We have never forced anyone to donate funds to our movement, all finances have flowed in voluntarily," Gurung said.

LDOs absence hits DDC works

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BAGLUNG, Nov 22 - Both internal as well as construction and development works of the District Development Committee (DDC) in Baglung have not been functioning properly in the absence of the Local Development Officers (LDOs) over the last eight months.

Five LDOs have been assigned to this district over the last three years. The latest LDO is currently on deputation in the Ministry.

The current DDC president has been elected from CPN (Masal) whereas the vice-president comes from CPN (ML).

Members of the opposition parties allege that LDOs find it difficult to stay in the district mainly because the district leadership of "Sarbahara" (proletariat) does not tolerate them and behaves in a high-handed manner towards them. On the contrary, DDC president Lila Thapa accused the Nepali Congress of being responsible for creating this situation to prove the Communist leaders to be a failure.

The LDO is the chief of the District Development Committee Office and all the "line agencies" work under him. Therefore, most of the development activities to be carried out by Baglung DDC have been put on hold.

Wards gear up for coupon distribution

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KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - After a five week long wait, the ward chairmen of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) are now showing their willingness to distribute coupons to the public for kerosene at subsidized rates.

Chairman of Ward No 7, Gopal Pandit today demanded the Board should meet at the KMC Central Office to announce the new decision and put an end to the confusion and dilemma.

When the price of petroleum products including kerosene was hiked last October 13, the government had decided to provide kerosene at a subsidized rate in quota of 5 litres per family. But, the KMC board had then decided not to distribute the coupons, calling the price of kerosene too high and the number of the coupons insufficient.

Pandit said the Board must decide something practical now. He said, "We did not intervene because the Board had decided so. But now, since the price of kerosene is at least reduced by four rupees, it is meaningless to protest."

"It is not fair when the whole country enjoys the benefit whereas the people of the capital should be deprived of this."

But he does not say that the problem is over. He said the government has allocated only 2,600 coupons to distribute among his 12,000 population including those living on rent.

Out of the 35 ward chairmen of KMC, 34 have not distributed the coupons yet because of the board’s decision and also the impracticality of the insufficient number of coupons allocated to them.

Hospital sans doctor

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SINDHULI, Nov 22 - Patients of this district are facing hardships due to the lack of doctors in Sindhuli district hospital.

Three doctors have been assigned to the hospital but generally, only one doctor is present at any one time. However, the hospital currently has no doctor because the only doctor of the hospital, Dr Vidyapati Kantha, has left the hospital to conduct family- planning camps in different parts of the district.

About 100 patients visiting the hospital each day are examined by Health Assistant and Assistant Health Workers. Since they do not like to take any risk, they refer the patients to hospitals outside the district even when faced with minor medical problems.

When the hospital was contacted, it was found that most of the hospital employees, including the doctor and the Public Health Officer, were busy at the family-planning camp. One of the employees said Dr Kanth would continue to conduct the family-planning camp for the whole month and would not be available in the hospital during this period.

In the absence of doctors in the hospital, bodies brought for post-mortems often rot in the morgue. People, who can afford, take the bodies of their relatives to Janakpur or send for a doctor from Janakpur zonal hospital to conduct post-mortem.

The Department of Health has not made any arrangement for hiring another doctor during the absence of the hospital’s regular doctor.

Maoists attack Dhangadhi bank

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DHANGADHI, Kailali, Nov 22 - A group of suspected Maoists destroyed the Shripur-based branch office of the Rural Development Bank on Monday, bank source said.

The source said that the suspected rebels caused grievous bodily harm to a peon of the bank at around midnight and set the bank’s documents on fire. However, the cash in the bank remained safe as the insurgents could not break open the vault during the attack.

This is the second time that the Maoists insurgents have attacked Rural Development Bank which is reported to be running at a loss for the past few years. Earlier, the rebels had also destroyed papers at the Kalika-based branch office of the same bank.

Journalists honoured

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 (PR)- Transparency International (TI) Nepal, a non-governmental, anti-corruption watchdog organisation awarded Kedar Subedi the TI Nepal Journalist Award for the year 1999/2000.

Likewise, journalists Lila Udasi of Jhapa, Bikas Amatya of Chitwan and Himnidhi Laudari of Kaski, were jointly awarded cash prizes amounting to Rs 15,000.

A special award of Rs 10,000 has been presented to Babu Ram Dhakal in recognition of his long-term service to journalism.

The criteria for the selection of the winners was based on their written works exposing corrupt government officials, criticizing those who abuse their positions of power and bringing to light the reality of various underhand dealings.

Chairman of TI, Devendra Raj Pandey said, "Being citizens they did their duty for the nation by pointing out the wrong-doings of people in government services. TI is here to support those people who come forward to fight against corruption".

American students study environ

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KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - A group of American students from Colorado University - Denver are in Nepal studying environment as a part of their study abroad programme in developing countries.

The host of the study abroad programme Malpi International College, the American College in Nepal, says that the programme is different than those that are frequently held, in that the course has been designed and coordinated by Nepali experts. Lectures by experts have focused on sustainability, forest dynamics and water resources.

American students taking part in the programme say that it has been very helpful in learning about Nepal. According to MIC, the American students are staying with Nepali host families while in Kathmandu which give them an insight to Nepali values and culture.

According to Jana Thapa, the executive Director of MIC, Nepali experts have shown their interest in giving lectures on Nepal to American students as a part of the student’s study course. "CU has approached MIC to host other study abroad programmes", says Thapa.

After 8 kids, Kamala does not know how many more

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BHADRAPUR, Nov 22 - Kamala Mehatar (Dom), 35, is the mother of 8 children. "I don’t know how many more children I will have to have. It depends on my husband," she said.

Kamala, who belongs to the low caste of Mehatar or Dom considered untouchable by society, has given birth to eight children, two sons and four daughters from her first husband and one son and one daughter from her second husband whom she married after the death of her first husband. She also has some grandchildren.

The hut she lives in is so low that it does not allow her to stand erect nor is there enough room for her to straighten her legs while she sleeps. The couple live in this one-roomed hut along with four children.

Her children have never attended school although a government school stands hardly 200 metres away from their hut.

This is how most of the Mehatar or Dom families numbering about one thousand in this district live, including about 400 in Bhadrapur area, 200 in Damak area, 150 in Mechinagar area and others scattered around areas of Jhapa district, according to a journalist, Som Nath Lamichhane, who has conducted a study on this community.

Members of the Dom community are generally employed as sanitation workers and sweepers in either temporary or permanent posts and other low wage-earning positions. Most of them are seen living in small huts on the banks of rivulets or ponds or on street pavements.

These oppressed Doms, who speak Rajbansi language, are conscious of belonging to the untouchable caste. They are now renouncing their caste (Mehatar or Dom) and adopting a more respectable caste to avoid being detected as "untouchables".

Only a few of them have citizenship certificates. Lack of these certificates is posing a problem for many of them to obtain permanent jobs. Also known as "Harijan", these people have not been able to upgrade their social status even 37 years after the implementation of "Muluki Ain" (Civil Codes) which outlawed the system of untouchability in the Nepalese society.

Indians held for murder

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PALPA, Tansen, Nov 22 - Two Indian nationals were arrested today in Bhairahawa for murdering another Indian, Ranjeet Singh 42, at Charchare, some 25 km south of here on the Siddhartha highway, police said.

The Bhairahawa-based Traffic Police arrested the accused, Bhaiyaj Khan, 66, and Mohammed Khan, 38, both from Ajamgadh in India.

The accused Khans had led Ranjeet to Nepal through the Nepal-India border town in Sunauli on the pretence of visiting Tansen, a favourite Indian tourist spot.

An eye-witness at Charchare said that he instantly informed the police in Bhairahawa when he saw the accused men throwing the dead body of Ranjeet from a steep rock into the Tianu river 200 metres from the road.

He also said that the accused Khans took the dead body out of the Indian Ambassador car bearing the number plate URS 5858. All of them, including the deceased Ranjeet, are reported to have entered Nepal on Tuesday.

The eye-witness said that the locals tried to arrest the Khans on the spot but failed to do so, as they fled the scene in the Ambassador car.

Police recovered Ranjeet’s body from the river. His head had been struck with a sharp instrument.

Dutch NGO to help in education

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 (PR)- Representatives of various VDCs and the Chairman of the Nepal Foundation (NF), a Dutch non-governmental organization, signed an agreement today which will provide financial assistance for building schools and will fund scholarships for financially weak students in the year 2001.

The financial support of Rs 6,600,228 will be used to construct and repair 7 schools in Chitwan, Mechi and Bajura and to provide scholarship to 57 children of Mechi.

In 1999, the NF provided scholarships to 88 children from different parts of the country. It also supported the construction and repair of 5 different schools located in Chitwan, Bajura, Syangja, Lamatar and Boudha.

During the year 2000, 104 children from different parts of the country received scholarships under the NF programme.