Govt-Maoist talks today 

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KATHMANDU, Oct 26 - After years of foreboding dark clouds, a silver lining has finally appeared in the Nepalese horizon in the form of "unofficial" talks between the Maoist insurgents and the government.

The "unofficial" Tuladhar brokered talks are to begin tomorrow morning, according to leftist human rights leader Padma Ratna Tuladhar.

This is the first time since the underground Maoist insurgents launched their "People's War" in February 1996 that they are talking with the government.

Padma Ratna Tuladhar told The Kathmandu Post Thursday, "The Maoists have agreed for the "unofficial" talks and they will have official talks with the government only when the government meets their minimum demands."

The minimum demand is that the government should make public the status of the Maoists, especially Dinesh Sharma.

"But this is not actually a condition," says Tuladhar. "This is something the human rights organisations have been asking for a long time. They will not sit for the formal talks until the government makes the whereabouts of all its party workers public."

Tuladhar who brokered the Maoist-government talks said, "One representative from the Maoists will hold the "unofficial" meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel who is also the Home Minister."

"The development has been very positive", said Tuladhar and added, "This could prevent what might turn out to be a civil war."

He said the army has been mobilised but "mercifully so far there has been no encounter between the army and the Maoists".

"But should an encounter take place, it could signal the beginning of a civil war, " he said.

Tuladhar has been trying to bring the government and Maoists to table and has been in telephone contact with the Maoist supremo Prachanda alias Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

In the latest contact on Wednesday, Tuladhar had said Prachanda assured him that the Maoists would not renege on their commitment and that he (Tuladhar) "can give personal guarantee to the government about this".

The Maoist insurgents have been waging what they call "People's War" for almost five years during which about 1500 people - police, civilians and alleged Maoists have been killed.

Attempts had been made in the past by the high-powered Deuba Committee to forge a dialogue with the rebels but they turned out to be futile. Sher Bahadur Deuba, the former Prime Minister who headed the committee had blamed lukewarm government response for the fiasco.

DPM Poudel, however said he had no knowledge about the talks. "Can there be a dialogue through the media?" he asked.

Tuladhar had earlier said that DPM Poudel had asked him to approach the Maoist leaders to seek ways for a dialogue with the Maoists.  

Koirala could contest for presidency

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KATHMANDU, Oct 26 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today hinted that he would continue to be involved in active politics and could contest upcoming party elections.

"I have made up my mind not to retire," Koirala said today addressing a function organized by Tarun Dal, the youth wing of the governing Nepali Congress (NC).

Koirala said that he was thinking of retiring from active politics but since he had heard senior NC member Bal Bahadur Rai say that no one could retire from the task of protecting democracy, he had made up his mind not to quit active politics.

This would mean that Koirala, who had not made up his mind on whether to contest the upcoming party election in January for the party presidentship again, could stand as a candidate.

The chances of him contesting the election had been reducing but without a strong party personality in his side of the party, analysts say it would not be too much of a surprise if he stood as a candidate against the anti-Koirala camp which most likely will field Sher Bahadur Deuba as their choice.

Deuba with the blessing of senior NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and his followers have appeared as the strongest of the second generation leaders in NC.

Earlier this week, Former Deputy Prime Minister Shailaja Acharya had announced her candidacy for the coveted post.

At the end of the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Sunday that was called to resolve the issue of renewing active membership, Acharya declared her candidacy.

She had claimed that both Koirala and Bhattarai had assured her full support.

"The party is passing through tough times and it is only Koirala and Bhattarai who can bail the party out of the whirlpool," Acharya said at the same function.

Acharya without naming Deuba and his side alleged them of trying to split the party.

"This man is initiating a dangerous game using the Maoist trump-card...we need to save the party from this element," Acharya said. Deuba heads the High Level Recommendation Committee for Resolution of Maoist Problem constituted by the government last year.

68 teachers fired in Makawanpur

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HETAUDA, Oct 26 - District Education Office (DEO), Makawanpur has terminated the services of 68 temporary primary level teachers as per the direction of the Ministry of Education.

According to DEO, the 68 temporary teachers, including five lady-teachers, working in 62 primary schools since the fiscal year 1996-97 were recently mailed termination letters to their respective schools.

Although District Education Officer Yamuna Prasad Chaurasiya declined to furnish details of the fired teachers, he conceded that those who were found to have worked without the approved quota were terminated from their jobs.

Currently, a total of 1,478 teachers are working in all 383 primary schools of the district whereas the total number of the approved quota for all the primary schools is 1,407. Chaurasiya, however, said that out of the total 71 temporary teachers, three of them could be adjusted in the approved quota.

In a meeting of District Education Committee held last month, almost all the members of the Committee protested Chaurasiya's proposal of firing the temporary teachers. All the teachers' organisations had pressed the District Education Officer not to terminate them despite the circular from the Ministry.

District President of Nepal Teachers' Association Shambhu Poudel told The Kathmandu Post that they are planning to launch a joint movement against the Ministry's decision after Tihar vacation.

When asked to comment on the termination of the teachers' service, Makawanpur District Development Committee Chairman Rameshwor Rana said that DEO's move cannot be justified as all the temporary teachers were adjusted within the approved quota last year. DDC Chairman said that the firing of the teachers would invite educational anarchy in the district.

27 Nepalese stranded in Saudi Arabia

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BIRTAMOD, Jhapa, Oct 26 - A number of Nepali youths sent to Saudi Arabia by a Kathmandu-based manpower supplier -- Gulf Manpower Overseas -- have now been stranded there since they cannot get hold of the job that they were promised earlier here in Nepal.

According to Yuba Raj Adhikari, a resident of Lakhanpur in Jhapa, who recently returned home from Saudi Arabia told The Kathmandu Post that a total of 27 Nepalis are taking refuge at a shelter of Nepali Immigrants' Association in Saudi Arabia.

More than nine thousand Nepalis are currently working as labourers in Saudi Arabia alone, said Adhikari who is also a member of the association. Nepalis in Saudi Arabia are forced to do tough manual jobs in hazardous condition without a guarantee of life or any health insurance, said Adhikari.

Last year itself, two youths from Syangja and one from Solukhumbu districts working in Saudi Arabia died in a road accident in Hasa, an Arabian city, but their bodies were sent back home without any  insurance-money.

"Nepalese embassy in Saudi Arabia is not sensitive towards the hardships faced by the Nepalis there," Adhikari said.

Adhikari added that most of the manpower suppliers at home promise lucrative jobs with handsome salary before sending people to the Gulf countries, whereas the working environment there is exactly the opposite.

Devkota Jayanti celebrated nationwide       

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KATHMANDU, Oct 26 - The 92nd Laxmi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of late Poet Laureate Laxmi Prasad Devkota was celebrated throughout the country with much fanfare today.

In the capital city, the Laxmi Jayanti was held at Nepal Sanskritik Kendra in Dillibazar. People from various walks of life dedicated their tribute to the Poet Laureate. Various poets and litterateur dedicated their poems to the Poet Laureate during the function.

Politicians were the others to pay their respect to Devkota. Former Speaker and senior ruling Nepali Congress leader Daman Nath Dhungana, lawmaker from the main opposition CPN-UML Ishwore Pokhrel and others shed light on the popular poet. Dr Padma Prasad Devkota, son of the Poet Laureate, too recalled incidents related to life of his late poet father.

Director of documentary "Laxmi Prasad Devkota", veteran film maker Yadav Kharel seeking pardon for delayed release of the documentary, which he intended to release today said that it would be released soon.

Meanwhile, Devkota Jayanti and the 23rd anniversary of Manahara Library was celebrated at the library premises in Mulpani Village Development Committee in the capital today.

Among those reciting poems at the function were renowned poets and litterateurs Khagendra Shangraula, Narayan Dhakal, Prahlad Pokharel, Kosh Raj Neupane, Bhardwaj Mitra and others. School children from the village also recited poems during the occasion.

Senior litterateur and former Vice Chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy Madan Mani Dixit and senior writer Ramesh Bikal shed light on the personality of the late poet Laureate Devkota.

Litterateur Dixit also gave away prizes to the school children who wrote and recited outstanding poems.

Various Nepali cultural dances and songs were also preformed at the function by the students of Mahakavi Devkota Memorial School, Nepal Rastriya Nirman School, Ananda Bhairab School, Amar Adarsa School, Bal Gitanjali School, Sandipani Gyan Mandir, and by the artistes of Mulpani Sanskritik Samaj.

Similarly, according to our Sindhulimadi based reporter, the Martyrs' Memorial Library of Sindhulimadhi organised a literary programme here on Thursday to mark the Laxmi Jayanti.

Inaugurating the programme, lawmaker Shankar Nath Sharma said the country was going to forget the great poet Devkota and voiced his concern at this situation. He said it was the duty of the libraries to keep the memory of the great literary figures alive.

Mayor of Kamalamai Municipality Basu Dev Shrestha read out a poem which he had heard when poet Devkota had read it out in 2008 BS in Kathmandu and highlighted the poet's contribution.

Different poets read out their compositions at the literary programme on different themes which included homage to poet Devkota, satire on political leaders who do not return to their electorates after winning the election and so on.

At the programme chaired by President of the library Gokarna Bahadur Thapa, different speakers highlighted the contribution of Devkota and paid glowing tributes to him.