Temba sets out to become youngest Everest climber

By Binaj Gurubacharya

KATHMANDU, April 1 - Courage has no limits and determination has no boundaries ... and this particularly holds true for Temba Tsheri who despite losing five fingers to frostbite last year, he is all set to try and become the youngest person to scale Mt. Everest.

Tsheri, an eighth grade student, will be leaving for Tibet on Tuesday in his attempt to climb the 8,850 meters world’s highest mountain from its northern side during the last part of May.

This 15-year-old Sherpa boy, who lost five fingers to frostbite when he tried to scale Everest last year and yet undiscouraged by the saga, is making another attempt this Spring to become the youngest climber of the world’s highest mountain.

"I am confident I will succeed to accomplish my mission this time," he said. "I feel I am more mature and experienced to tackle the mountain."

Last year, Temba turned back just 50 meters from the summit because of frostbite, exhaustion and deteriorating weather. Despite the disappointment he did became the youngest person to reach the height of 8,800 meters.

His fingers got frostbitten before he attempted the final ascent, when he bared his hands for about 45 minutes to tie his shoes.

Beside the frostbite he faced other problems on the mountain. His sardar decided that Temba and his team should spend extra days on the camps below the South Col and another two days at the South Col, the final jumping point before the climb,

And when the team, which was out of bottled oxygen and food to keep them going at the 8,000 meters high South Col, did decide to make the final push, this sardar decided to return back and abandon the climb.

"Even to this date I don’t understand why he made that call," Temba told his friends and teachers of Sidhartha Vanasthali Institute who bid him farewell at a colorful function today.

Fellow students and teachers praised the young Sherpa for his courage and the school has donated Rs. 50,000 towards his expedition.

Tsheri will join a group of foreign climbers he has never met for another try at the summit.

Though he has not met these people whom he might have to depend on keeping himself alive on the mountain, he says that should not be a problem.

At the summit, he hopes to hoist the flags of Nepal and his school.

In preparation for the climb, he had scaled 5,900 meters Yela Peak in the Langtang Valley last month as a practice putting his physical and mental state to test. He said he passed with flying colours.

"It does not matter that I lost those fingers," he said. "I can still function normally and climb without any difficulties or problems."

His parents who have also been associated with trekking and mountaineering are also encouraging their son’s attempt. "We are not scared but happy that he is making the bid," said his mother Lakpa Dikki.

Tsheri, who made his unsuccessful bid last year from the southern side of Everest, is trying to break the record set by Nepali climber Shambu Tamang in 1973, when he climbed the peak at the age of 17. Tamang still holds the record.

Business community protests RNA deployment

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BHADRAPUR, April 1 - Businessmen in this eastern Terai town have requested the government to revoke its decision of deploying army personnel in major customs points for improving revenue collection, accusing the army of "terrorising" the local business community.

Speaking at an all party discussion held here today, Parshuram Agarwal, President of Jhapa Chamber of Commerce (JCC), said that the government has made a "wrong decision" to deploy the army even in areas where due taxes were being paid and business was going on peacefully.

"It is a wrong process to arrest businessmen surrounded by arms and without giving them any opportunity to speak for themselves, that too without the presence of any Chambers or VDC representatives...The local business community has been terrorised," Agarwal said.

Meanwhile, officials at the Mechi Customs Office claim that the deployment of the army has improved revenue collection. According to the officials, a few businessmen have been warned in the process of army mobilization.

The army also arrested Deep Chandra Agarwal, proprietor of Manisha Electricals and confiscated his goods worth Rs. 450,000 on a raid conducted in March 28. Similarly, they have also confiscated 4,000 pieces of saris from Dulhan Sari Center and Rs. 95,000 worth of saris from Suresh Enterprises.

On the other hand, JCC today has issued a five-point demand including non-raiding of goods recorded in Value Added Tax, denote expiry date of customs declaration form and that customs patrol team not initiate its activities in a biased manner.

JCC also accused the army of raiding a marketplace in Birtamod, far away from the customs office, in the presence of Customs Chief Deepak Kharel and without allowing the businessmen to explain. The marketplace is around 17 km west of the Mechi Customs Office.

Mega preparation for NC gala event

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KATHMANDU, April 1 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and influential leaders coming in from Bagmati zone today huddled together at the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) party’s central office discussing appropriate answers on the current political turmoil ahead of a mega showdown slated for April 9.

Democratic polity was restored in the country on April 9 (Chaitra 27), 1990. The historic day is observed as People’s Movement Day. The beleaguered government of GP Koirala is organising a mass meeting at the capital’s Open Air Theatre or Khulla Manch on April 9.

In a telephonic interview with The Kathmandu Post Sunday evening, Former NC spokesman and Central Working Committee (CWC) Member Narahari Acharya said that today’s meeting was attended by PM Koirala, his close confidants, all the District Working Committee and CWC members of Bagmati zone’s all the eight districts and MPs.

Acharya, Yog Prasad Upadhyay, Bashudev Risal, Sushil Koirala, Prakash Man Singh were a few of the NC heavy weights present at the party’s Teku-based office. "The meeting concentrated mainly on the April 9 mass meeting, and on the on-going preparations for that meeting," Acharya said of the meeting.

The party has already formed a main committee headed by President of the party’s Kathmandu District Working Committee, Tirtha Ram Dangol. The committee has been charged with a responsibility to host the mass meeting. According to highly placed party sources, heavy preparations are underway ahead of the mass meeting which will be addressed by the party’s top leaders, including Koirala.

The premier who is also the President of the ruling party will "clarify on the realities of the on-going political turmoil as well as on the issues of House impasse, the controversial aircraft lease deal with Lauda Air and the blocked Ordinances".

The Ordinances were brought to establish an Armed Police Force and appoint Regional Administrators in all the five developmental regions of the country. PM Koirala is also scheduled to address a press conference tomorrow afternoon, which is expected to revolve around the rumoured nationally televised address of PM Koirala, sources said.

Leader of the main opposition CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal yesterday attacked the PM’s forthcoming move, saying Koirala could have addressed parliament instead.

The 19th session of parliament has remained thoroughly disrupted with the opposition parties banding together to disrupt the House proceedings demanding Koirala’s resignation over his involvement in the Lauda Air Jet lease deal. None of the consultations or efforts initiated so far has helped to relieving the country of the serious political mess.

Open loaded trucks: hazard for other drivers

By Deeleep Dhakal

KATHMANDU, April 1- It was February 2, 2001. The first year BBS students of Vrihaspati Vidya Sadan were on an educational tour to Sauraha, Chitwan. Two of the students, Sanjaya Adhikari and Ashwini Rimal, shaved off time for a shopping trip to Birgunj.

They sped to Birgunj, one of the major business hubs in the kingdom, on a rented motorbike. Already late, they were trailing a speeding truck heavily laden with steel rods with the sharp ends hanging well beyond the body of the truck. The truck driver jammed on the brakes without warning, but the motorbike was too close to avoid hitting the jagged rods projecting from the truck.

The rods skewered Adhikari and Rimal could do nothing but be a witness to the dreadful death of his friend.

This was not just a freak highway incident. Such a horrific sight of heavily laden vehicle carrying load more than their body length is not uncommon. Motorbike riders have many a time survived such accidents by a hair’s breath and many have been hospitalized for months.

Vehicles including rickshaw and tractors are seen carrying polyethylene pipes, bamboo, corrugated tins and so on, which could be deadly to the bikers. Everyday, there are many cases of GI-rods smashing through the windscreen of vehicle and piercing the driver and passengers.

These type of road mishaps are recorded under the traffic rule violation category, says Harischandra Dhakal, Inspector of the complaint section, at the Valley Traffic Police Office, Ramshahpath, Kathmandu. However, fine slapped against such offenses is too nominal: ranging from Rs 25 to Rs 200.

Basanta Singh, a biker says, "The fine and warning are really inadequate for the culprits who load their vehicles in such a careless way. It is very dangerous especially during night, "

The vehicle drivers should be educated and made aware of the possible hazards their simple negligence can invite. Vehicles carrying steel rods and corrugated tin sheets should use clearly visible special signs at the rear of the vehicle especially at night, says Saroj Amatya, a pedestrian.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, trucks and lorries are not allowed to operate inside the Valley without special passes issued by the office. That is also limited between 9 pm to 7 am only.

But Prem Lama, 32, who has been driving Safa tempos on the Sundhara to Boudha route for the past three years says, "I often meet such overloaded trucks at Chabahil and Boudha area around 7:30 pm. But, other light vehicles and rickshaws carrying goods in similar manner are found plying around Maitidevi even during daytime. The way they carry goods is very dangerous and a mere brush could invite death".

However, the truck drivers have a different story to tell. Bir Bahadur Lama, 34, of Dolakha, who has been driving trucks for the last seven years says, "There is no such vehicle in Kathmandu made specially to carry the long torque-steel rods. So, the rear-lid must be opened to carry such things. There’s no other way. And if the traffic police find us we are fined. Not only trucks but small carts and rickshaws also carry long steel rods and pipes during the day contributing to the many such accidents. It is very illogical to fine us because we are not the only ones to blame". But the Senior Superintendent of Police at the Valley Traffic Police Office, Shanta Bhakta Ranjit says, "We catch and fine those who come in our sight and we can’t overstep the Traffic and Transport Management Act rules".

‘Kangal’ pushes new protest

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MAHENDRANAGAR, April 1 - Freedom fighter Hari Prasad ‘Kangal’ has once again started mass awareness march along with his famous pushcart.

Kangal decided to travel from Mahakali to Mechi zones with his pushcart as he felt that his Kathmandu to Pokhara walk last January did not satisfy its objective.

Kangal had travelled from Kathmandu to Pokhara pushing his pushcart during the 10th General Convention of the Nepali Congress earlier this year. The cart which has portraits of founding leaders of the party like BP Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh pinned on it also carries their quotes.

In Kangal’s words his march was against the corrupt leadership in the Congress Party and the country.

"After the advent of democracy there have been moral distortions everywhere. The leaders have lost their morality and the situation of the country is deteriorating everyday," Kangal said just before starting his march. "My march is to make the people aware of the existing situation and fight moral distortions existing in the country, he added.

Kangal was a active member of the Nepali Congress since its foundation and had a major role in the party’s armed struggle against the Rana Oligarchy in the ’50s. Kangal was sidelined after the restoration of democracy in 1990 and as he claimed earlier the main leadership of the party even denied to recognise his contributions to the party.